


Reunion

by TheRealJLRules



Series: The Claire & Lex Chronicles [3]
Category: Jurassic Park (1993), Jurassic World (2015)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Love Triangle, Past Relationship(s), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Strong Language, True Love, government investigations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-11-18 13:30:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 24,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11291643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRealJLRules/pseuds/TheRealJLRules
Summary: Sequel to "One Week" and "Never Again". After Jurassic World falls apart, can Claire and Lex overcome their heartbreaking split and reconcile? And what does Owen have to say about it... ?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I DO NOT OWN JURASSIC PARK/WORLD. This is just for fun.

As her car sped down the road, the driver's mind was running even faster.

Lex Murphy could not believe she was doing this. What _was_ she doing?! Bombing down the highway, trying to stay within the speed limit, on her way to San Diego. And for what?

To see the one person she never wanted to see again. And at the same time, _desperately_ wanted to.

To say she was in a paradox at the moment would be an understatement.

It all started three days ago, when she watched the news. What she feared - and _knew_ \- would happen, finally did. Jurassic World collapsed. Lex remembered sitting infront of the television, tears streaming as she watched the reports. Dinosaurs escaping and running amok; buildings and structures destroyed; hundreds, if not thousands, dead.

Lex knew it would happen. It was only a matter of time: she tried to warn anyone who would listen - and even those who would not - for years. It was just a matter of time before the biggest, most successful theme park of all time crashed and burned, just as the original Jurassic Park did in 1993. Only this time, it was not down to one man's greed... but rather a whole company's.

Inbetween sobbing at the news, and getting in contact with Alan, Ellie, Ian and of course Tim, Lex listened to what exactly happened. How the park's investors wanted "the next big thing", and got it tenfold. From what Lex had gleaned, the Indominus sounded like a true monster. Intelligent and articulate, with "extra features" she gained from her multi-creature hybrid origin. Lex remembered Alan explaining how the original dinosaurs created used frog DNA to "fill in the gaps"... but this I-Rex was clearly much, much more than that.

However, what exactly those abilities _were_ were unknown. As had happened with the original park, and Lex was all too aware would happen, most of the details were under lockdown. Lex and Tim heard the word "classified" more in the immediate weeks after the '93 incident, than at anytime in their lives before or since.

Lex was devastated. She _knew_ this would happen! Why did Simon Masrani not listen? How could everyone involved be so blind to the inevitable storm? Lex was saddened evenmore to learn Masrani himself was among the lost. She was always at odds with the man, but prayed he would see the light before it was too late. He never did, and now it _was_ too late. For him, and everyone involved.

Following the tragedy, the park was abandoned. History repeated itself. Lex was horrified at the thought of _two_ islands with dinosaurs running around freely. She dreaded to think what would happen next. From her and her brother's dealings with InGen twenty years ago, she knew the corporation had a vested interest in Jurassic Park/World. Only, its interest was not geared towards "entertainment". Even two decades ago, Lex knew InGen had connections with the military. It did not take much imagination to picture the company selling certain "assets" for war. The pressure of continually fending off the parasites was one of the things that finally killed her grandfather.

However, despite all that... _none_ of that was why Lex was doing what she was doing right now. She was speeding to San Diego for one reason. For one _person_... and one person only.

The woman who captured her heart in that one solitary week Lex could never forget... then trampled her heart into the ground.

Claire Dearing.

Their brief time together was _incredible_. Lex fell for the beautiful redhead harder than she had for anyone before, which made it evenmore painful when it all fell apart. Indeed, Lex was _crushed_ when she learnt Claire ran Jurassic World, the one place she hated and feared with her life. That proved Lex could never be with her; she would not and _could_ not be involved with anyone connected to that deathtrap. Except... if that was truly the case, why was she now rushing to see the woman?

Lex knew why. She knew very well: she was still emotionally connected to Claire. Despite what happened, despite her best attempts to forget the redhead, despite the months apart... Lex still felt as deeply for Claire as when they were together.

She... loved...

Shaking her head, Lex thought back to what got her into driving like a madwoman to San Diego. After a couple of days simply trying to learn what happened at Jurassic World, Lex finally caved and tried to discover what she _really_ wanted to know: was Claire amongst the casualties? Nothing was said of exactly _who_ died - apart from Masrani, obviously - and Lex naturally feared the worst. Unfortunately, all attempts to find out who survived met in failure. No agency she called would give her any names. From the news, she learnt the staff who _did_ survive were being questioned - interrogated? - in the courthouse at San Diego. When Lex called _there_ , she still got no results. The staff identities were "classified".

Which led to what Lex was doing now. All she needed to know was that Claire was alive. She would damn well hold the courthouse hostage, just to find out. She did not need to _see_ the beautiful redhead. She just needed to know she survived.

Lex did not need to see her. She...

She wanted to see Claire more than anything in the world.

Lex continued down the highway, her emotions in turmoil...


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DO NOT OWN JURASSIC PARK/WORLD. This is just for fun.

"OK... let's go through it again."

Claire Dearing groaned inwardly at the CIA agent's comment. They had already gone through "it" three times. And that was just with _this_ agent.

"As Operations Manager, it was your job to keep Jurassic World running."

"Yes," Claire said stoicly.

"And you needed to know everything that was happening with the park," the agent continued.

"Yes."

"That included the animals being kept there."

Claire frowned. "I had to be kept abreast of where they were and what physical state they were in. But as I've _already_ said, I wasn't aware of what exactly went into _making_ the animals. Interms of that, it was just my job to take any requests from Mr. Masrani or our investors and deliver them to the lab. What went on _in_ the lab wasn't my business."

The CIA agent raised an eyebrow. "But you were in charge of the entire park."

"I was under the employ of Masrani Enterprises," Claire said. "InGen was in charge of the science, a completely seperate division. I was... the intermediary between the investors and the lab. It was just... I don't know, _convenience_ the science was done on the same island. As everyone knows, the labs on Site B weren't an option." Indeed, they were not. Isla Sorna had years of untouched dinosaurs running around. Its science department was wrecked by the time Jurassic World was greenlit. In comparision, Isla Nublar's was largely intact. There were far fewer animals on Site A, which also made it easier to bring Nublar back under control in the late 1990s. Sorna was too populated by then to even _consider_ using anymore.

"So you had no connection to InGen?" the agent asked.

"I was just the middle-person," Claire insisted. "It was my job to be in contact with InGen, yes, but I wasn't connected to them. Not legally, not contractually: I was employed by Masrani - _not_ InGen."

The agent turned a page in his oh-so-thick case file. "Where you _ever_ made aware of what went into making the animals?"

"I knew it involved extracting blood from mosquitos in amber," explained the former OM. "And the gaps in the DNA strand were filled in with modern animals."

"That's information every tourist was given," spat the agent. "Did you _really_ not know anything else? No one ever told you what exactly they were putting into these animals?"

At the man's accusatory tone, Claire began to weaken. She had been through this too much. "It... it was classified. I'm not a scientist... I just... " She took a moment to calm herself. "It wasn't my job. The lab just did their work then delivered the final asse... _animals_. From that point, yes, it _was_ my responsibility."

The agent's demeanour seemed to soften. "Ms. Dearing, you must understand... with Simon Masrani's death and Henry Wu's disappearance, you are the most senior person left. But no one's saying you were responsible for... "

" _Really_?" interrupted Claire. "Because it sounds like it." Again she paused, trying to rein in her emotions. They were quite paradoxial. She indeed knew it was not her fault what happened with the Indominus Rex... but it damn sure felt like it was. She had to actively keep reminding herself otherwise. "I... I know now how ridiculous the arrangement was. We... _I_ should have been told what exactly InGen was doing. It's just... that _wasn't_ the arrangement. Simon... Mr. Masrani signed off everything. Nothing had ever gone wrong; I had no reason to question the I-Rex."

"Even when it exhibited... " - the CIA agent looked down at the notes - "... 'unusual behaviour'? It killed its sibling - the only other of its kind. Is that true?"

"Yes," whispered Claire. "But you must understand... it wasn't unprecedented. We had Raptor killings within groups, even scuffles between herbivores. They're wild animals - they have their own rules depending on their species." She had learnt that from Owen. "Considering the I-Rex was an all- _new_ species, we... I... didn't think... Don't you see? We had nothing to go on."

"Ms. Dearing, no one's accusing you of anything." The agent's line of questioning made Claire question _that_. "We simply want to learn the facts."

Claire narrowed her eyes. The CIA was just blowing hot air. It wanted someone to blame, but Claire knew very well she could not be charged with anything. When she first took the job at Jurassic World, responsibility started at the top: both Masrani and Wu outranked her. And with Wu missing - security footage salvaged by Lowery proved he escaped and was not killed - the CIA could not just "pin the rap" on her. And evenso, testimony from Lowery, Vivian, Zach, Gray and even visitors proved Claire went above and beyond when it came to trying to help.

But that did not stop Claire feeling the terrible, terrible guilt.

"OK... " the agent said slowly, "let's go through it again... "


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DO NOT OWN JURASSIC PARK/WORLD. This is just for fun.

"I'm sorry, Ms... Murphy?... but I can't divulge that information."

Lex groaned at the courthouse receptionist. "I just need to know if a Claire Dearing is here. You don't have to tell me _who_ she is, or what she _does_ : you just have to tell me if there's someone in this building with that name."

The receptionist raised an eyebrow. "Ma'am, I wouldn't _need_ to tell you who that person is or what she does, as you're clearly after someone specific. But I simply cannot reveal the names of anyone in this courthouse who's not in a position of authority."

"What makes you think I'm not after someone who works here?" asked Lex, trying to use the receptionist's logic against him - as he just did to hers, annoyingly.

"Because you would've referred to her title, not just her name."

 _Fuck_. The fact Lex had not thought this through was all-too apparent. But the need to know Claire's state was overwhelming: almost before even thinking about it, Lex had left her house, gotten into her car and driven up here. More than once she considered turning back - what she was doing was nuts - but she just could not. If no one was willing to talk to her over the phone, she would have to find out in person. And she simply _had_ to know if Claire was alive. Her drive here was filled with one question: was Claire alright? Lex _had_ to know! Could this man behind the desk not see that?! "Look, I... I don't wa... nee... hav... " No matter what word she considered using, Lex could not bring herself to say she did not need to see Claire. She _desperately_ wanted to see she was alive and well... even if she knew that would not be a good idea.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" the receptionist asked.

"I _will_ be, if you simply answer my question," Lex snapped. She was losing her temper; she had been here, been kept waiting for what seemed like hours. When she arrived, the receptionist - the unhelpful berk infront of her right now - said an official would see her soon. When no one did, Lex returned to the front desk. He brushed her off again. The third time, Lex resorted to bringing up Jurassic World. That actually seemed to make things _worse_ : after that, there was not even an offer to keep waiting. The lockdown relating to information about the park staff was harsher than she expected. But Lex would not give up: she had to know. " _Is Claire Dearing here_?"

Sighing, the receptionist shook his head. "Ms. Murphy, it doesn't matter how many times you ask - _I can't answer that question_. Now, if you'll please... "

"Well then, we have a problem," said Lex. "Because I'm not leaving until you do." She stared resolutely at him.

Sighing in exasperation, the receptionist began idly clicking at his computer. "If you must, you can schedule an appointment to see one of our... "

"I don't _WANT_ to schedule an appointment!" yelped Lex. "Dammit, just tell me! It's a simple fucking question - is she here or not! _Has_ she been here? _Will_ she be here? Has _Claire Dearing BEEN here_?! I _need to KNOW_!"

"Ma'am, we don't tolerate that lang... "

Lex was entering the red haze state. "Look, I'm Lex Murphy! John Hammond was my grandfather, and I need to know information about his life's work!" Lex did not want to pull the "don't you know who I am?" card, but it appeared she had no choice. However, even thinking about the park, combined with her inability to learn about Claire, was getting the best of her: her eyes began to water.

"Ma'am, if you don't calm down I'm going to have to... "

" _Please_ , I _need to KNOW_!" Lex screamed. " _TELL ME, IS CLAIRE DEARING HERE_?!"

"Lex... ?"

Lex suddenly froze.

Her eyes widened.

Lex slowly turned her head... to see Claire Dearing glaring at her...


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DO NOT OWN JURASSIC PARK/WORLD. This is just for fun.

Claire rested against the wall of the lift, eyes closed, trying to regain control of her breathing. Her companion looked at her, concerned. "That bad?"

She sighed as she opened her eyes at Owen Grady. "So many questions... "

Owen smiled slightly. "It'll get better," he said. "Eventually they'll run out of things to ask."

"They already have," Claire scoffed. "I've heard and answered every question at least a dozen times." She ran a hand through her hair. "How did yours go?"

"Ditto," he replied with a shrug. "Though I know you have it worse."

Claire snorted. "Yes, you weren't in charge of the world's biggest theme park when it collapsed and people died... " She closed her eyes again, trying to quell the guilt before it reached the surface.

"Hey," came Owen's voice. "It wasn't your fault. You know that, right?" Claire shrugged noncommitedly. "It  _wasn't_ , kiddo," emphasised Owen. "It was Wu's."

Claire's eyes threatened to wet. "I should've known what he was doing... "

"We're not going through this again, Claire," said Owen resolutely. "He started mixing and matching animals without any thought or consideration on what could happen. He was too busy trying to get more inches in the science history books. And once the CIA or feds or whoever finds him, you'll stop taking the rap for what he did. OK?"

"O... OK... " Claire knew he was right, but still felt awful.

"Good," he said softly. "Now howabout we grab a bite before we head back?"

Claire silently nodded her head. Owen had been a great friend during all this... and briefly, more.

After Jurassic World fell apart and everyone returned to the mainland, Claire and Owen decided to get back together following their single date a couple of months prior. In a sense, Claire felt she owed him it: the Raptor handler risked his life to save Zach and Gray, to which Claire would be eternally grateful. But her heart was never really in it. Owen was kind, funny and thoughtful; the sex was fine. After just a couple of weeks, though, Claire called things off. It was clear to her it would not work out. After all, she was in love with someone else.

Indeed. Not crazy or mad about. Not infatuated or smitten with. Claire was  _in love_.

With Lex Murphy.

The woman who stole Claire's heart during that unforgettable week, and despised her by the end of it. Claire knew she was being absurd; she should have gotten over the lovely blonde ages ago. But she could not: she still frequently thought about Lex, despite the time since they parted. And she cared too much for Owen to simply go through the motions with him. To his credit, he seemed to accept Claire's decision without any concrete explanation... eventually.

But now was not the time to brood over impossible romance. Frankly, Claire had far more pressing matters: tomorrow she would be subjected to yet more questioning/interrogating. At least the CIA gave Claire and Owen accommodation in San Diego. Once this was all done, and if Claire was not behind bars, she might have to resort to staying at her sister's for awhile. At least she could spend more time with - and get to know - her nephews.

Eventually, the lift reached the ground floor of the courthouse and the doors opened. Claire and Owen stepped off, intending to have lunch at a nearby cafe before returning to their temporary "homes". They had kept seperate rooms, even when they were briefly together. As they neared the courthouse exit, Claire spoke again, deciding to lighten the mood. "I hope they don't get our orders wrong ag... "

"...  _KNOW_!  _TELL ME_ ,  _IS CLAIRE DEARING HERE_?!"

Both Claire and Owen's heads shot to the direction of the scream, to see a blonde-haired woman standing at the reception desk.

Claire could not believe her eyes. Her breath caught. "Lex... ?"

Slowly, the woman turned to face them... revealing a wide-eyed Lex Murphy.

Claire was gobsmacked. "Wh... what are you doing here... ?" she eventually asked. An eternity passed in silence. Lex was just staring at them. What was she  _doing here_?! Claire never expected to see the beautiful blonde again... Lex  _said_  she would never see her again!

As they stared at eachother, Claire's mind was in turmoil. Instantly, all her emotions came back to the fore - as if they ever left. The woman she loved was standing not ten yards away from she and Owen. What was Lex doing here? Who... did she think she was? Claire suddenly felt evenmore vulnerable as she thought back to how they parted - her heart had been shattered. She was stunned to see Lex again, but given the current situation, she  _knew_  this was bad. Claire was too emotional to deal with this. Had Lex come all this way to mock her?

A part of Claire wanted to lean closer to Owen... give Lex the impression they were together, make her  _jealous_. But no: Claire would not use Owen as a pawn. However, she would at least  _try_  and appear strong infront of the woman who still owned her heart. The ex-OM took a gulp, attempting to stand slightly straighter. "Come to gloat?" she asked coldly.

Another long moment of stillness... then Lex suddenly dashed to Claire and enveloped her in a deep embrace. Claire gasped in shock. "You're alive... " she heard in her ear, Lex's voice nothing more than a whimper. "You're alive... "

Claire found herself returning the hug, holding Lex tight, as silence again fell...


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DO NOT OWN JURASSIC PARK/WORLD. This is just for fun.

Lex sat at the cafe table, almost trembling. The anticipation was excruciating. Eventually, the woman she came to San Diego for returned, carrying two cups of coffee. Slowly sitting down opposite Lex, Claire stared at her. Lex could feel the confusion from the lovely redhead.

Claire visibly gulped, before taking a deep breath. Finally, she spoke. "What are you doing here?"

Lex blinked. What was she supposed to say? "I... I came... to see if... " Was it not obvious?

"If what?" asked Claire. The agitation was evident in her tone, at least to Lex. Despite the brevity of their time together, and the much longer time apart - she could still read her ex-lover like a book.

Lex blinked again.  _Lover_. "I... I had to know... if you... were alive." Her voice was barely a whisper. Frankly, she felt embarrassed: the whole situation sounded absurd. She was a fool for coming here. "I heard what happened," she continued. "At the... the island. I... just had to know... "

"Why?" came Claire's perplexed response. "You said you... never wanted to see... to talk to me again." The ex-OM's eyes were watering.

Yes, Lex was a  _stupid fool_. But why? For coming here... or for another reason? "I'm sorry," she breathed.

At that, Claire scowled. "'Sorry'? You're  _sorry_?" Lex noticed her hands ball into fists. "Am I supposed to just accept that? Howmany times did  _I_  say that to you? Howmany times did I  _beg_  forgiveness, and you said no?"

"Please... " said Lex. "I'm t... trying to make pe... "

"No, don't you dare say that." Claire suddenly slammed her fists on the table. "Don't you  _DARE_!" The noise caused a number of people in the cafe turn their heads; Claire ducked hers to avoid embarrassment. Lex, meanwhile, was stunned at the outburst. She felt terrible: this was a huge,  _huge_  mistake. Taking a moment to calm, Claire clenched her jaw as she glared at Lex. "You meant the world to me, Lex. I never meant to hurt you, and I was heartbroken that I did. But when I tried to fix things, you turned me down. I was so sorry that I hurt you, but dammit it, Lex... you hurt  _me_ , too."

"Claire, I... "

" _No_ ," she said with a raised hand. "I have to say this. Or I never  _will_." Numbly, Lex nodded. Part of her knew what was coming, and worse, that she might deserve it. "I tried to make amends with you time and time again," Claire continued. "But everytime you didn't want to know. I'm sorry for what you went through all those years ago, and that I work...  _worked_  at Isla Nublar hurt you. But dammit, Lex... how the  _hell_  was I supposed to know? I was trying to  _protect_  you!" Lex looked down, mortified and ashamed beyond belief. "You meant everything to me, Lex," continued Claire. "In that week, I'd felt for you things I've never felt for  _anyone_  else. Even when you threw me out, when you...  _slapped_  me!... " - Lex flinched at that - "... I still wanted to be with you. But for you to accuse me of  _using_  you... "

"I know you weren't!" yelped Lex. "Masrani would never... "

"I'm not  _talking about Simon_!" Claire cried, which garnered more attention from people around them. "You said I was  _two-timing_  you!" Tears were trickling down Claire's cheeks. "Do you have  _ANY idea_  how that made me feel?! I said it was just one date -  _one_! - that went nowhere, but you didn't want to hear it! You slammed the door in my face!"

Now Lex was silently crying too. "I... I'm so sorry... I was angry..."

Claire appeared to calm. "Fuck... I know you were, Lex. But that hurt  _so much_. Don't you see? You... even in just a week, I couldn't stop thinking about you. I still  _can't_! You brought feelings out of me  _no one_  else ever has - I  _never_  would've cheated on you!" She glared incredulously at her. "And now you just come to see me, like nothing happened? What am I supposed to do - greet you with open arms? You nearly broke me!"

Lex was appalled knowing what she said hurt Claire so much. But something  _she_  said caught Lex's attention: Claire still thought about her. Just as Lex still thought about Claire; thought about... the woman she loved. Yes... Lex knew the  _real_  reason she came to San Diego. It was all so clear. She loved Claire. She always had.

Tenderly, Lex reached out and took Claire's hand in hers. The beautiful redhead's eyes widened at the act, but Lex knew she had to do this. She had to reconnect with her. She had to  _fix_  things. "I'm sorry, Claire... for everything. I've been a fool... such a stupid, stupid fool." Indeed, she was - for ever letting this wonderful woman go. Lex slowly raised their hands, bringing Claire's knuckles closer to her lips...

Suddenly, Claire ripped her hand away. " _No_!" She glared at Lex disbelievingly. "Dammit,  _no_! Jurassic World falls apart... and I'm just supposed to take you back? After I  _begged_  you to take me back?!"

Lex was like a deer in the headlights. "Claire, please, I'm sorr... "

"How  _DARE_  you?!" Claire's face was one of pure fury. "I won't be  _played with_ , Lex! It goes  _both fucking ways_. I may've broken your heart without realising it, but dammit -  _you_  broke  _mine_  too!" She got to her feet and aggressively picked up her coat and handbag. "It can't be fixed just like that!" With a final furious glance, Claire stormed out the cafe, leaving a sobbing Lex alone...


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DO NOT OWN JURASSIC PARK/WORLD. This is just for fun.

To say Owen Grady was confused would be an understatement. His life was certainly a rollercoaster right now.

His place of employ - and home - falls apart. He loses four animals that were almost like children to him. He gets back with the woman he loves, only for her to quickly break it off.

And regarding the latter, now Owen had an inkling as to why.

When he and Claire resumed their relationship, the Raptor handler was overjoyed. The experience dealing with the Indominus Rex made Owen realise just howmuch the beautiful redhead meant to him. It went beyond flirting: he was in love with Claire Dearing.

But after just a couple of weeks, she ended things. Owen was hurt and confused, but chose to respect her decision. Things were not exactly ideal for a burgeoning romance, after all: both were under investigation by the CIA over Jurassic World's collapse. Obviously, however, his meetings with agents were far less involved than Claire's. He in many ways led the charge against the Hybrid and did numerous rescues, but at the end of the day, he was just a "grunt" - Claire  _ran_  the place. She was responsible for almost everything that happened on the island.

So, Owen let her have her space. He reckoned Claire just needed breathing room; once the CIA tired with its questions and admitted it had no grounds to charge her - Wu was the one it was really after - Claire could move on and they would be able to get back together. After all, Owen knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

But the sudden arrival of this cute blonde, this "Lex Murphy", gave Owen pause. Though Claire never gave a specific reason for ending their relationship, the thought that someone else was involved  _did_  enter his mind. He would not have been surprised: Claire was the most beautiful woman in the world. She probably had admirers queuing up. Not that she would have cared, of course; her job was far more important than any relationship... as Owen bitterly discovered after their original date.

The way Claire reacted to this Lex, however... Owen was surprised. After their deep - and  _long_  - embrace, Claire introduced her to him. Owen instantly noticed the blush on the ex-OM's face. Coupled with the embrace - the very,  _very_  deep and  _long_  embrace! - Claire asked for some privacy with the other woman. Owen knew their cafe "date" had gone out the window. But for some strange reason, he was not angry. He sensed this woman was extremely important to Claire. So he graciously stepped aside and watched them leave the courthouse and go to the cafe.

Instead, he was now eating in the hotel restaurant. The hotel the CIA provided he and Claire rooms at. Rooms, plural. Even when they were together, Claire did not push for them to share one room. Now Owen thought about it, that was probably a massive hint too. Claire was not committed to them being together. And while that hurt immensely, Owen let it slide. Anything to make Claire happy.

Anything... ?

Sighing, Owen decided to get some air. He finished his food then left the hotel - never noticing the lobby's lift doors closing and obscuring a certain redheadded woman within - only to blink at what he saw across the street.

The cute blonde, Lex, was stumbling out the cafe, a complete wreck. Even from a distance, Owen could see her face was red from crying. He wanted to stay rooted to the spot, to ignore her... but his kinder instincts got the better of him. He quickly dashed across the street and practically flung himself infront of the sobbing woman. "Hey, hey, wait!"

Lex darted her head up - Owen was shocked at the raw hurt in her face. "Wh... wha... who... who are... " Recognition then seemed to dawn on her. " _Oh_. Y... you're... you're...  _Claire's_... " The agonising pain she said the ex-OM's name actually made Owen flinch.

Owen decided enough was enough. "Look, just tell me - who  _are_  you?"

Lex began trembling. "I... I should've known... she hates me... "

No prizes for guessing who she was talking about. "Please, I just want to know what's going on." Lex just buried her head in her hands, the weeping continuing. Owen had to actively hold her by the sholders to coerce her into calming. "Who are you?"

Lex glared up at him, tears streaming. "Y... you're the boyfriend, aren't you?" Owen was shocked at that. "She... she chose you... oh God... what have I done... ?"

Her words made something in Owen's mind click.  _Chose him_? The pieces were already starting to come together. "You know Claire... like  _I_  know Claire?"

At that, Lex seemed to fall apart. "Oh God, she  _IS with you_! Oh God,  _no_!  _I was RIGHT_!"

"Hey,  _hey_ , calm down!" Owen said, already aware their altercation was garnering concerned looks. "We're not together!"

Again she glared at him. "I... I don't... understand... "

"That makes two of us," said Owen. "Please, just tell me who you are."

Lex was evidently trying to calm herself down. Not that she was having much luck: she was still crying profusely. "W... when Claire went on... v... vacation... we... we met a... and we... " She blushed deeply.

Oh God. Now it all made sense. Owen took a moment to compose himself. What  _he_  did next made no sense, but he could see how upset this woman was, and felt the need to try and calm her. "Listen... Lex... me and Claire aren't together. She broke it off. I... " He took a deep breath. "I need to talk to her."

"She hates me... " whimpered Lex. "She  _hates_  me... " Judging by their embrace at the courthouse alone, Owen knew that was untrue. "I... I have to go... this wa... was a terrible mi... mistake... "

The words came from Owen before he realised. "Lex... Lex, look at me." When she tried to pull away, he strengthed his hold. " _Look at me_." When she did, he continued. "I'm going to talk to her, OK? In the meantime, stay here."

"I... I have to go," she whined. "She hates me... "

What was Owen doing?! This was a free ride: with Lex gone, he could win Claire's heart. Only... he could not bring himself to do it. For some insane reason, he knew he had to speak to the beautiful redhead... get  _her_  side of the story. "Lex, promise me you won't go, OK? Stay here until I get back."

She stared incredulously. "I... I can't... "

Owen took another deep breath. "Lex... do it for her. OK?  _Promise_  you won't leave before I talk to her."

"I... I... "

"For  _her_."

Lex seemed to minutely calm. "O... OK... I... I promise... "

Owen clenched his jaw. He had to get to the bottom of this...


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DO NOT OWN JURASSIC PARK/WORLD. This is just for fun.

He banged on the door, rapidly losing patience. "C'mon, Claire - open up. I know you're in there."

Owen was standing outside the former OM's hotel room. He knew he did not have long - despite her promise, he got the distinct feeling Lex might bolt at any moment. But that would be a good thing, right? Again, the ex-Raptor handler wondered what the hell he was doing. He loved Claire completely, and this blonde who came from nowhere certainly seemed like an obstacle. The more Owen thought about it, the more Claire's ending of their relationship made sense. He just  _knew_  there was more to it, and Lex appeared to be the answer. If he had any common sense, he would just let things drop and wait until Lex lost patience and left; then he could concentrate on winning the lovely redhead back.

Only... he could not. Despite his outward oafishness, he was simply not that selfish. If something this insane involved Claire, he had to know the full story. So here he was, standing with increasing impatience in the hotel corridor. "Dammit, Claire... I'll knock the door down if I have to."

Eventually, he heard the sound of a lock unlatching, then the door slowly opened, revealing a redfaced Claire Dearing. Bags were heavy under her eyes, her hair a mess, and her makeup was running. Owen's heart clenched at the woman he adored in such obvious hurt. Without waiting for permission, he barged past her into the room, leaving her to close the door. He huffed with his hands on his hips. "Claire... what the hell's going on? Who  _is_  she?" She simply looked at him, agony written all over her face. Owen's own face softened. He did not want to be confrontational; he just wanted to know the facts. "Please, Claire... "

"She... " Claire appeared she was about to burst into tears. "She's... she's Lex M... Murphy. I... I met her when I w... was on vacation. Before... the I-Rex escaped."

He frowned. "Before our date?" The frown deepened when she shook her head. He tried to process the information. "When you say you 'met' her. Do you... mean... ?" As if he did not know the answer.

Claire choked. "Owen... I'm so sorry. I... I... " She held her head in despair.

A pang of hurt crossed Owen's chest - but why? They had  _one_  date; it was not like they were involved after just that. Maybe it was more the fact Claire never mentioned this Lex when they got back together. "How long?"

She sighed. "Just... just a week." Claire turned her head to look out the window. Owen noticed her wistful look... something she never displayed with him. It was becoming clearer and clearer for him. It did not take long for Owen to fall for the beautiful redhead, but knew - or at least thought - she was the kind of person who just took longer to open up. When she ended things, he assumed part of it she was not at "that place" yet, and needed time. But if she spent just  _one week_  with Lex, and she was  _this_  cut-up... ?

Something clicked in Owen's mind. Despite his apparent oafishness... he was not that stupid, either. He realised exactly what was going on. Part of him suddenly became very empty; he knew now why Claire was never committed to him. To say it hurt incredibly would be an understatement. "What happened?"

"Isn't it obvious?" she almost spat. "It didn't work out. It was just a week - it had no future."

The defenses were going up, Owen could tell. "For something that was 'just a week', it sure seems to have made a lasting impression," he said through gritted teeth. "For both of you."

Her eyes almost shot out at that. "She lied to me. Said I'd lied to  _her_." When Owen remained silent, she gasped in exasperation. "She's John Hammond's granddaughter!"

That caught Owen by surprise. It only took half-a-second for him to realise what Claire just said. He could not believe this situation - it just got weirder and weirder. "She didn't tell you?" Claire shook her head. "Did you tell her about the park?" Owen would find it incredible if they spent an entire week avoiding two pretty important topics.

"I knew she didn't like theme parks," said Claire. "But she never told me why. So I never... " She gulped. Owen closed his eyes. He could guess the rest. "When... when she found out... when we  _both_ found out... " Claire's voice was struggling through sobs. "Oh, God... it fell apart so quickly. I... we... oh God, what is she  _doing_  here?! I can't  _deal_  with this!"

"She said you hated her," Owen said softly. But the next sentence came out with difficulty. "She said... you  _chose me_."

Again with the bulging eyes. "Owen... Owen, I'm so, so sorry. I... I just... "

"She's why you ended things, isn't she?" Owen tried not to let the disappointment and - daresay - anger show in his tone. But he knew the answer before he got it.

"I'm so sorry... " she whined. "I just... just couldn't... I felt like I was... "

"Cheating?"

" _It was stupid_!" Claire yelped. "I knew how things ended! I knew she hated me! I  _knew_  I'd never  _SEE_  her again! But I... I just  _couldn't_... !" She looked utterly broken. "Owen, I'm so sorry... "

He was incredibly torn. On one hand, he was crushed to have it pretty much confirmed Claire's feelings for him were nowhere near his for her. But on the other hand, he hated seeing her upset. Would he give up his chances to be with Claire for her own happiness? "You need to talk to her," he said before realising it.

" _No_ ," snapped Claire. Owen's eyes widened in surprise. He stared at her, willing her to continue. " _She_  ended things.  _She_  broke up with  _me_.  _She_  slammed the door in my face! She can't just  _waltz back_ and expect me to forget what she did!"

"And what did she do?"

"She accused me of  _using_  her! Of trying to get her back to the island! Of  _TWO-TIMING_  her... treating her like a  _toy_! She thought I was a  _WHORE_!" Claire became more hysterical with each passing second. "What does she  _think_? The park... the park's  _out the way_  so she can have me now?! I won't be treated like that - not after what happened!"

Owen narrowed her eyes. "Do you... want to be with her?"

" _Of COURSE I do_ ,  _I LOVE HER_!"

And just like that, with Claire's facade dropped, it was said. Her eyes glared in no particular direction, her mind clearly realising what she admitted in desperation. Almost awed, Owen knew where she stood. He knew everything - it was all so clear. He took a moment to calm his own heart, itself possibly broken. He loved Claire utterly, so to  _know_ , to have it  _definitively_  confirmed she was in love with someone else? It was a bitter pill to swallow. However... seeing Claire in such a state, seeing how distraught she was over this... "So be with her." Did he just say that?

" _No_! I won't be pushed and pulled in every direction!" Claire's face was one of pure fury. "I've lost my job, my home, my reputation, but I still have my... !" She suddenly stopped, but her body was now trembling.

Owen simply looked at her. "So that's it?" He sighed. "You'll throw away happiness because of... pride?" Owen was inwardly questioning where his was.

At that, Claire broke down. "Oh God... oh God... I... " Again, Owen was torn. A tiny part of him almost  _wanted_  Claire to suffer: wanted her to just cry it out so she could get over it and begin to move on - with him. But really, Owen did not have it in him. He loved Claire too much to allow her to be in such pain. He strode upto her and took her in an embrace, as she began sobbing. "I... I don't... I can't... not now... I... I... Oh God... I lo... I love her... love her so... much... "

Owen sighed, trying not to smell her hair. "Y... you need to talk to her."

"No!" She squirmed out of his arms and turned her back. "Please, Owen... I need to be... alone."

"For your whole life?" Owen shook his head. "Where's the pride in that?" He then left, not noticing the shudder his words gave Claire...


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DO NOT OWN JURASSIC PARK/WORLD. This is just for fun.

Lex sat at the cafe table, trying desperately to hate the man sat opposite her. After all, he was her rival.

But... was he, really? What exactly did Lex want? Why exactly had she  _come_  here?

She sighed inwardly, knowing why. As soon as she saw Claire standing infront of her, alive and apparently well... it all came crashing down on Lex. Suddenly all that mattered was holding Claire...  _being_  with Claire. When Lex embraced her, she felt  _complete_. Like she had been missing something - a piece of her heart. And with the beautiful redhead, her heart was whole again. Lex was in love with Claire Dearing... she always  _had_  been.

The altercation in the cafe was a wakeup call, in more ways than one. Not only did Lex resolve to win back the lovely woman, but she realised, as Claire castigated her, just how selfish she had been. Lex felt ashamed and humbled: having Claire tell her how she hurt her, how she seemingly broke her heart - just as Lex had hers broken - made her reaction at Claire's job seem evenmore childish. Though deep down Lex knew her anger and hurt were justified, her overreaction was certainly  _not_. Lex knew now how unreasonable she was at the end of that unforgettable week; as much as Claire should have told her where she worked, Lex should have understood the shocked and bewildered reaction her rage received. How  _was_  Claire to know?!

Lex had to see her again. They had to sort this out. Once more, the thought of leaving Claire was unbearable - Lex was truly a fool for ever letting her go. And though she was overwhelmed initially by Claire's anger at the cafe, Lex was glad she stayed in San Diego. She had another chance... and dammit, she was  _not_  going to pass it up. Lex knew they still had alot to talk about, and it would be hard, but she was determined to  _try_.

Speaking of trying, Lex was brought out of her musings by the man sitting opposite her. This "Owen Grady". She tried hard to dislike him, but the way he acted since she arrived, how kind he had been, the fact he was true to his word and  _did_  return... "She's  _very_  upset, Lex," he said.

Lex groaned. "I, I know. I don't know why I expected anything else." Taking a token sip of her coffee, she closed her eyes. "The things I said... they were awful."

"Did you mean them?" His tone was almost defensive. Lex could understand - Claire obviously meant a great deal to him too. He probably loved her himself. At that thought, Lex began to feel worse: the situation was appearing to be more helpless by the second. Owen was the boyfriend Claire had one date with before "that week" - he at least confirmed it  _was_  just one date - and gotten back with after Jurassic World's collapse. Sure, he said Claire quickly broke things off; but if she got back with him in the first place, the beautiful redhead's feelings for Lex could not have been that strong, surely? If Owen loved her back - which Lex was certain he did - and Claire hated Lex, then it all seemed to fit.

Claire and Owen had a connection Lex lacked. They were both on the island; they faced off dinosaurs together; they were both being investigated by the CIA; and they were currently residing in the same place. Lex had never visited the park when it was open; she faced dinosaurs with different people; and she did not live in San Diego. And if Claire had effectively been with Owen twice already, she could very easily get back with him again. When Claire and Lex split, it was pretty final.

Lex moaned once more.  _Please_ , let that  _not_  be true. Let them fix this. "At the time," she eventually said, "I thought I did. But... I was angry. Hurt. I thought she'd betrayed... " She stopped, the guilt overwhelming her again. How  _stupid_  had she been?!

"So not now?" he asked. " _Is_  it just a case of 'the park is out the way'?"

Lex's eyes widened. Did Claire think  _that_? Oh God... when put like that, no  _wonder_  she felt used. Worthlessness suddenly fell on Lex. "No," she breathed. "No. I... I realise now howmuch she means to me. I... I know I don't deserve her. But... "

Owen sighed himself. "She means alot to me, too."

Looking at the man, Lex's feelings of hopelessness deepened. Her determination to try and win Claire back began to wane. "I... I should probably leave," she said bitterly, looking down. "I... I'm sure she'll be happy with you." What was she doing? Where had her resolve gone? It was just, it seemed so hopeless. She did not deserve Claire... However, when Lex raised her eyes again she saw Owen was slowly shaking his head. She frowned, silently questioning the gesture.

"I'm not the one she loves," he said sadly.

At that, Lex audibly gasped. Did that mean... ?

Before anything else could be said, Lex noticed two men in smart suits approach them. One of them cleared his throat. "Alexis Murphy?"

As Lex confirmed his question confusingly, Owen groaned. "Not you guys." He turned to Lex. "These are the CIA idiots. Look, we're having a private conversation," he said, facing back to them. "My next Twenty Questions session isn't until tomorrow, so if... "

"Mr. Grady, we're going to ignore that insult," the other agent interrupted. "But this isn't about you. We'd like to have a word with Ms. Murphy."

With all eyes on her, Lex blinked, her confusion growing...


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DO NOT OWN JURASSIC PARK/WORLD. This is just for fun.

Claire stared out the hotel room window, her thoughts a jumbled mess. And it was not just her thoughts: the entire day - the entire  _situation_  - had become a complete mess.

What was Lex doing here? How could she just turn up out the blue? Why  _now_  - when Claire was at her most vulnerable? Was the former OM's initial thought correct? Was the lovely blonde here just to ridicule her, say "I told you so" and make Claire feel even worse about the collapse of Jurassic World?

No. It was clear that was not the case. If it  _was_ , Lex was going about it in a weird way. Claire was truly confused: she thought she knew exactly how Lex felt about her. Hateful. Distrustful. Betrayed. But now, after what happened in the cafe, after was Lex tried to do...

Claire thought back to their argument in the cafe. Or rather, her  _ranting_  at the beautiful woman. Claire did not know what came over her, but the sudden shock of Lex being here, coupled with Claire's assumption of the reason for her presence, caused all the pent-up frustration to boil over. Claire could not stop herself: she finally let loose with all the hurt - the agony - Lex left her with after she slammed that door in her face. In the back of her mind, Claire wondered what the fuck she was doing: Lex was the woman she  _loved_ , and she was treating her like that?! But Claire had lost control; she wanted - needed - Lex to know just how broken their split left her.

As she continued to gaze absently out the window, the day long since turned to night, Claire groaned. She adored Lex with all her heart, and wanted nothing more in the world than to be with her again. But... she could not. She would not be broken again. Besides, what was Lex thinking?  _Did_  she think, with the park gone, they could reconcile like nothing happened? Surely not. If she did, then Lex was a madwoman. And Claire must have been, too.

Because she was considering it. She desperately,  _desperately_  wanted to be with Lex.

Was Owen right - was it just a case of pride? But even if it was... was that a bad thing? Claire always took great pride in her work - and a little in herself - and now that work was gone, she had nothing left. All she had  _was_  to be prideful in herself. Besides, she needed to be right now, with the CIA breathing hot air down her neck. Though she knew she could not be charged with anything and would hardly end up in prison, the constant interrogating was sapping what little was left of her self-confidence. Claire had to constantly remind herself it was  _not her fault_. Though she would probably always feel the terrible, massive guilt, she knew she could not let that destroy her even moreso. She had to be strong.

But... she also needed support. And Claire automatically knew who could give her the best in that. She had never felt more confident, more  _complete_ , than that week with Lex. Being with her made Claire feel like she could take on the world, that nothing was wrong so long as the woman she loved was by her...

 _No_.  _STOP it_. It could not be. Claire would not let herself be messed around with again. Even if Lex was sincere in her attempt to get back with her, what would that make Claire? A  _fool_ , that was what. A fool with no self-respect. So they could not get back together. Claire would not let Lex play with her emotions anymore. She would get through this. She did not need Lex Murphy. She could just get along just fine...

Alone.

Just as that word shuddered through Claire's mind, she was startled by a knock at her door, eventhough it was bairly audible. Only one person would dare do that at this time, in the state she was in. Taking a gulp of air, Claire ran a hand through her red hair and tried to clean up her mascara, then smoothed out her blouse. "Come in, Owen," she said as calmly as she could.

The door slowly opened and Owen peeked his head in. "I didn't know if you'd be up."

Claire gave an unconvincing chuckle. "It's only eight, Owen. Give me some credit." He appeared unamused as he fully entered the room. "What can I do for you?" Claire asked, again trying to sound casual, and failing miserably.

He appeared uncomfortable as he held the back of his neck. "I had a talk with Lex. She... "

" _Please_ ," interrupted Claire, "I don't want to talk about Lex." Or think about her. But that was impossible. "What's done is done." Was her voice shaking?

"Claire... "

Suddenly, the ex-OM burst into tears again. Just like that, the dam gave and the flood ran. Claire felt pathetic. "Owen,  _please_ , I just... " Dammit, what was  _wrong_  with her? Was her control  _completely_ gone? "I can't... keep thinking about... "

Owen strode upto her and held her arms. "Claire... I'm sorry. I just thought you should know... "

"No," she spat. "Lex is in the past. I... " She blinked away tears as she looked up at Owen. "I need to... think about the future."

Claire wanted support. And Owen could give her that. She knew he  _wanted_  to give her that. Why deny him? Why still be hung up on a woman who thought she was a toy?

Slowly, Claire closed her eyes and leaned closer to Owen. Seemingly sensing her intention, the former Raptor handler's head made the rest of the journey and their lips met. The kiss was chaste at first, before it began to deepen. Claire could feel his arms slowly move around her waist, as she raised hers to stroke his chee...

No. No no no  _no_.

The word repeated in Claire's mind again and again. This was wrong. Claire's closed eyes tightened as she felt a wave of self-hate come over her. This was unbelievably  _wrong_. It... it...

It was not  _Lex Murphy_.

Claire gave a muffled yelp, then tore her lips from Owen's. Before she could see his shocked expression, she again squirmed out his arms and dashed to put distance between them. She held her head in her hands, tears running once more. What had she nearly done? What was she  _thinking_? In the back of her mind, Claire knew she should probably be concerned at how she just treated Owen, trying to reclaim feelings for him when there were none  _to_  reclaim - none like that. But instead, Claire felt nothing but despair... at again  _betraying Lex_. Oh God. Claire moaned - even now, even with the feelings of hurt and anger she had for Lex... she could not bring herself to be with someone else. Not  _now_. Not with Lex - the woman she  _LOVED_  -  _here_.

Silence reigned, until finally, Owen spoke. "Claire... I... "

"I'm so, so  _sorry_ ," sobbed Claire. "Please, I'm so  _sorry_. I just... I c... can't... " Again the room fell silent. The quiet was so long Claire wondered if he left, until he spoke again.

"Lex is staying at the hotel. The CIA wants to talk to her tomorrow." His voice became a whisper. "And I think you should, too." Claire spun around in shock just as the door closed shut, Owen gone...


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DO NOT OWN JURASSIC PARK/WORLD. This is just for fun.

"Have you ever visited Jura... "

Lex stopped the CIA agent right there. "I  _told_  you, I will  _not_  talk about that place." She had to actively keep her voice from shaking. "I was assured I wouldn't have to. I've never been there after... " She paused and took an audible gulp. "I don't know what you wanted to talk to me about, but I was  _promised_  it wouldn't be about the park."

Indeed. When the two agents interrupted her and Owen the previous afternoon, they explained how he and Claire were undergoing questioning over Jurassic World's collapse. They also explained how the courthouse receptionist brought Lex's name to their attention; one quick investigation later and the CIA knew  _exactly_  who she was. She was surprised when the agents said they wanted to formally question her: for what? She had nothing to do with the theme park. Surely they did not need details on the 1993 incident - that was common knowledge. And Lex could barely talk about it anyway without breaking down. Why exactly did they want to speak to her? And more to the point... why had she agreed to it?

The reason for the latter was obvious. It gave her more time. An extra day to resolve this situation with the woman she loved, to reconcile with her. Lex hardly had a plan of action when she set off for San Diego, but so far the trip was 50/50. Yes, she felt positively awful at realising how much she hurt Claire, but it also made Lex realise just how much the beautiful redhead meant to her: she  _loved_ Claire. Yes, the situation appeared hopeless, what with Claire's anger and hurt, coupled with the rival in Owen. But Lex still hung onto a glimmer of hope: Owen's admittance of Claire's  _non_ -commital to him filled Lex with a smidgen of confidence.

So it turned out she owed the berk of a receptionist after all. He told the CIA about her ranting demands, and the agency even offered to put Lex up in a hotel for the night. Not that she got much sleep: her mind was racing with hope, fear, self-hate and, of course, love for Claire. But if all the CIA wanted to talk about was the island, then that was a waste of time: Lex would just storm out and return to the task of winning back the woman she cherished.

"You're quite right, Ms. Murphy," the agent said. "We apologise. What we  _really_  wanted to talk to you about was Claire Dearing."

Lex's eyes bulged. Did... the CIA know about them?!

"The courthouse receptionist said you were very insistant on knowing her whereabouts. How do you know Ms. Dearing?"

Lex almost breathed a sigh of relief. The CIA knowing  _that_  extent of her personal life was too weird to contemplate... eventhough she would probably have to explain it anyway. "We met when she was on vacation. I offered to show her around the city. After that, we... " - do not blush! - "... spent time together for the... duration of her vacation."

The agent flipped through his notes. "You're also John Hammond's granddaughter."

"Yes."

The agent raised an eyebrow. "Heck of a coincidence for you to meet the person running the place he planned, considering the location of your meeting and your... " - he turned a couple more pages - "... documented protests at the park's existance."

Taking a deep breath, Lex shrugged. "Simon Masrani was there at the same time, trying to... " She closed her eyes, trying to stem the storm. It was like this everytime she talked about the park; it was a good thing she always kept a blister of antidepressants in her handbag. "He tried to convince me to come back with him, to... " - do not  _cry_! - "... see the park. So... " She cleared her throat ready to change to direction of the conversation. "It's fairly obvious Claire travelled with him. So that explains her presence."

The agent nodded in agreement. "What type of person did -  _does_  Ms. Dearing seem to you?"

"She's  _wonderful_ ," Lex gasped before she could stop herself. "Caring, considerate, thoughtful, she's... " Lex paused as her own words sank in. Just like that, it dawned on her  _just_  how Claire treated her that week, and  _just_  how vindictive Lex had been at the end. Claire was indeed caring, considerate and thoughtful enough to know Lex hated theme parks... and to spare her the pain of telling her the details of the one she worked at - without even knowing  _why_  Lex hated them. At the time, Lex thought she managed to hide just howmuch "funfairs" made her uneasy. But either her feelings were pathetically obvious... or Claire was far more attuned to those feelings than Lex thought.

"We have it on record that Ms. Dearing ignored signs of the Indominus Rex's instability," said the agent. Lex narrowed her eyes. As far as she was concerned, all the dinosaurs on that island were unstable, simply for existing; in that regard, Claire was no different from her grandfather. "But... " the agent contined, "we also have it on record from coworkers and even civilians that Ms. Dearing was a major factor in trying to fix the situation once the I-Rex escaped. We know she personally participated in the rescue of her nephews, and she was the last to leave the island." That was  _literally_ true: Claire was the final person to board the chopper sent to pick her, Owen and the kids up.

Lex stared at him as he spoke. Her estimation for Claire just continued to grow and grow. That feeling of self-hate was creeping back into Lex's gut. Just  _how_  stupid was she to ever let the wonderful redhead go? How could be she have been so  _insane_?! Yes, Claire ignored Lex's warnings about the park - as did everyone else - but clearly, she did not run away and hide when it fell apart: Claire did more than her bit in trying to fix the situation. Lex's guilt was growing alongside her love for the woman: she was truly mad. But not just for being angry at Claire and throwing her job and nonexistant "infidelity" in her face. No, Lex was mad for ever letter her slip through her grasp.

She would not make the same mistake again. She owed it to herself - and moreso Claire - to try and win back the woman she loved...


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DO NOT OWN JURASSIC PARK/WORLD. This is just for fun.

Claire felt awful. But trying to pinpoint the main reason was difficult, to say the least.

She had gotten almost no sleep the previous night. Instead, she simply lay in her hotel bed, numbly staring at the cold, empty side next to her. She had tried desperately not to yearn for her heart's desire to be laying beside her, to be sharing her bed... but that was impossible. The image of Lex Murphy resting opposite her refused to leave Claire's imagination.

Because she had next to no slumber, Claire's latest "chat" with the CIA was a shambles. Answering in monosyllables, more often that not just mumbling incomprehensibly; Claire just wanted to crawl under a rock. It did not help that it was the same questions,  _over_  and over  _again_. Surely they had enough information? What more could be gained from asking the same things repeatedly? Maybe Claire's lethargic reactions today would be a blessing in disguise and the CIA would finally give up and let her go.

She also felt terrible about how she treated Owen. She did exactly what she wanted to avoid: used him as a crutch. Of course, it could be argued she did that anyway during the brief resumption of their relationship; but that was under different circumstances. Claire honestly thought she would never see Lex again, and it was best to try and work things out with Owen. But lastnight was different - she tried to spark things with Owen again with Lex  _back_... and that was unthinkable. Claire felt disgusted with herself, but why? For treating the ex-Raptor handler so poorly, obviously - but also, of course, for nearly betraying Lex.

Which was ridiculous! They were not together anymore! Claire was well within her rights to move on with her life and be in a relationship, and she knew Owen loved her. But she just could not. Not with Lex around again. All the feelings of guilt she tried to dampen - which she failed to do anyway, as she still broke up with Owen! - came rushing back with the beautiful blonde once more in her life. And Claire could never deny she still loved her with all her heart.

And that, probably above all, was the final reason Claire felt awful. She was still utterly connected emotionally with Lex. She clearly had no self-respect left whatsoever. Lex had hurt her so much when they parted after their wonderful week together, that it should have been easy to hate the woman. But it was beyond Claire: she desperately wanted to be with Lex, even now. Despite what happened between them, despite her words and bravado, Claire wanted nothing more than to be in Lex's arms again, to feel her body against hers, to kiss her perfect lips...

Was pride  _that_  important... ?

Before fresh tears could be shed, she heard a knock on her door. "Claire, can I come in?"

The ex-OM rushed to the door and hastily opened it, revealing her visitor. "Oh, Owen," she gasped. "Look, I... I'm so, so sorry about... last... " She gulped. "I feel terrible. There's no excuse... "

Owen took a deep breath. "I understand," he said, but Claire could tell it was strained.

"No, you don't," she said resolutely. "But... you need to." She took his hand and led him fully into the room. "What I did was unforgivable. I, I... "

His face softened considerably as he stroked her arms. "You don't have to explain, Claire."

"Yes I  _do_ ," she continued. "I felt awful. I felt  _weak_. I needed to be strong again, I needed support. And I needed to know I didn't need... Lex." Tears threatened to fall again. "So I... I tried to... I thought we could... " Her voice caught. "Owen, I'm so sorry."

"You really love her, don't you?" he asked. It was not an accusation.

Claire hung her head. "It doesn't matter. I won't be toyed with. Just because the park's gone, she can't just come back a... "

"Claire, stop it," Owen interrupted. "The fact is - the park  _is_  gone. Whether that was or wasn't keeping you two from being together is irrelevent now."

Keeping her gaze down, Claire took a gulp of air. She decided not to repeat herself from yesterday and continue to give reasons why she could not so readily forgive Lex: it would only hurt Owen more, perhaps fill him with false hope. And with that thought, she looked up again. "Owen, you saved me, you saved my nephews, you saved everyone. I'll never forget that. And I  _do_  love you. But not... " Unable to finish, she knew he understood. Claire braced herself for the last part. "I don't... can't... " She grit her teeth. " _We_  can't be." She stifled a sob, hating herself for the pain she knew she was causing him. But he deserved a proper relationship, and that was something she could never give him. "I'm sorry."

His eyes were closed, and her self-hate increased tenfold. She would not be surprised if he stormed out and she never saw him again. What he  _did_  do, however, shocked her. Opening his eyes, he smiled softly, though she could tell it was a struggle. "It's OK, kiddo," he whispered, before softly kissing her on the forehead. He then left, as tears flowed freely down Claire's cheeks...


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DO NOT OWN JURASSIC PARK/WORLD. This is just for fun.

Owen stood firmly, trying desperately to hate the woman standing a few feet opposite him. After all, she was his rival.

Only... she was not. Not anymore. Owen knew the situation  _perfectly_.

"So... what was it you wanted to say?" Lex asked, arms wrapped around herself.

Owen sighed. He knew what he had to say had to  _be_  said, but it did not make it any easier to get the words out. "I just think you should... know... " He took a deep breath. "You don't have to worry about me."

Lex frowned. "Huh?"

"I'm... getting out of the way."

She glared at him, clearly shocked. "W... why?"

Why, indeed? Owen had spent seemingly the whole night wrestling with that question. His last two interactions with Claire were agonising, but it also left no doubt whatsoever as to the beautiful redhead's state of mind. When they kissed, Owen knew he should have stopped it: it was obvious Claire was an emotional wreck. But he could not help himself: the love he had for the former OM was overwhelming. As the kiss deepened, he felt himself losing control, wanting to desperately reconnect with Claire. To regain what they lost. And when she abruptly ended it, almost violently tearing their bodies apart, Owen felt his heart being ripped out also. However, even  _then_ , despite the unbearable pain of rejection, there was a certain clarity. Owen was heartbroken, but he also, finally, knew absolutely where he stood. He had lost her - Claire's heart belonged to the woman whose room he was in now.

He was not even that angry. Upset, yes. Disappointed, without saying. But outright  _angry_? For some reason, no. Not for the first time over these past two days, Owen wondered where his self-respect was. But perhaps the answer was blindingly obvious: as much as he loved Claire, he would not be able to live with himself if she "settled" for him. For that was what he knew would be happening if they got back together: he knew Claire loved Lex completely. Despite her protests, her insistance she would not take Lex back, Owen knew she was fooling herself. Letting pride get in the way, Claire was apparently prepared to sacrifice her happiness just to save face - but the ex-Raptor handler could tell Lex had a grip on Claire too tight to give.

And that was why Owen could not bring himself to be angry at Claire, or even hate Lex. "Claire means the world to me," he said. "But I want her to be happy.  _Truly_  happy. That's... all I've ever wanted. It's the most important thing of all: her happiness." And not just in terms of her personal life: Claire needed all the self-esteem she could get, following Jurassic World's collapse. And she would feel infinitely better with the one she truly loved by her side.

Not for the first time, Owen had to internally dampen the feeling of pain that thought envoked.

"Do... you love her?" asked Lex.

"Yes, I do," he answered, without hesitation.

She frowned again, incredulously. "I don't understand. Why... why aren't you  _fighting_  for her?"

At that, Owen's mask slipped, and his face contorted to show just howmuch this situation pained him. "Believe me, I want to. I love Claire completely. But... " He took closed his eyes as he took another breath. "I know I'd lose."

Lex's eyes became saucers, and she took an audible gasp.

"She loves you, Lex," Owen continued. "She's trying to protect herself at the moment, but she loves you."

Her face fell. "But she thinks... you said she thinks I'm only here because the park's gone... "

"The park  _is_  gone," he interrupted. "Nothing's gonna change that." He looked into her eyes. "Do you love her?  _Truly_  love her?"

Lex's face and tone instantly became adamant. "With all my h... "

Suddenly, there was a knock at the hotel room door. Lex actually jumped at the noise, while Owen narrowed his eyes. Going to the door, he cautiously opened it... revealing a timid Claire Dearing. Her face turned to surprise at the sight of him. "Owen?! W... what are you... ?"

Silencing her with a held-up hand, Owen smiled ruefully. "We needed a little chat," he said, motioning to Lex. "And I have a feeling that's why you've come... right?"

Claire became timid again. "Y... yes. I... " She darted her eyes to Lex, who looked like she was about to break down.

"Good," Owen made himself say. "I'll leave you two alone." He gently took Claire's hand, pulling her fully into the room. He then left, gently closing the door behind him.

It was time to let Claire go...


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DO NOT OWN JURASSIC PARK/WORLD. This is just for fun.

They stood silently for what seemed an eternity.

Claire's emotions were in turmoil. She had somehow gathered the nerve to come to Lex's hotel room, finally collecting enough courage to face her. To  _confront_  her. To tell the lovely blonde there could be no future between them. Claire intended to say there was no chance for them: that she could not saunter back and expect the ex-OM to simply fall into her arms. Not after the way Lex treated her.

But now, actually being in her room, having to face her, with no turning back... Claire wanted nothing more than to run up and fall into Lex's arms.

But no. She had to be strong. She had to be resolute. She...

"I'm glad you came," Lex said quietly.

Oh God. Just her voice sent Claire's heart skipping. She could easily sense the hurt and trepidition in the woman's tone. Apart from their first day together seeing the sights, with her completely misreading the situation - Claire could always tell exactly what was going on in Lex's head. Like they were meant to be... "Why?" she found herself asking. Her tone was harsh. Good - she needed it to be, to get through this.

A hint of pain in Lex's face instantly made Claire regret the harshness. However, Lex seemed to dampen it down quickly. "We... I... we need to sort this out."

Claire narrowed her eyes. "And what exactly  _is_  'this' that needs to be sorted out?"

Lex clenched her jaw. "Don't talk to me like that, Claire," she blurted. "I... I know I've hurt you. I know what I did was unforgiveable. But please - don't patronise me."

"I can assure you I'm not," said Claire. "Come on, Lex: what exactly do you mean by 'this'?" It all came back to the question running through Claire's head since yesterday. "Why  _are_  you here? To see that I'm alive? That I survived? Well... you can see I am and I did. So you can be on your way." Internally Claire was raging at herself: what was she  _doing_?! She loved Lex - wanted nothing more in the world than to be with her... for the rest of her life. But dammit, Lex had to be, well, taught a lesson. Claire's heart was not something to be played with.

Lex's eyes began watering. No, please, not that. Claire felt her resolve slipping. She had to fight with every urge not to rush to the beautiful blonde and hold her close. "I... I never wanted it to be this way," Lex breathed. "I never wanted the park to implode, like... like the first... "

Claire felt her anger returning. Lex mentioning the park helped. "I tried to call you when it happened, you know," she spat.

"You tried to call me lots... " Lex suddenly clamped her mouth shut, obviously realising that was the worst thing she could have said.

"Yes, I did," said Claire icily. "Begging you to forgive me. Begging you to give us another chance. Begging you to  _be with me_." Her eyes almost became slits. "And we know how you responded to that, don't we?" She took a deep breath and blinked a few times. "But no... believe it or not, Lex, but my life doesn't revolve around you." That was the truth - right? "This time it was when I was actually looking for my nephews. I tried calling you - to ask you how you survived on the old park. I needed information, help... I needed  _hope_  that my nephews had a chance. And do you know what I discovered?"

Numbly, Lex nodded.

"You'd changed your numbers.  _All_  of them. Can you imagine how I felt?" Now Claire was struggling to hold back the tears. "Not only did that fill my fear for my nephews' wellbeing, but afterwards, after we were rescued, I realised... it meant you really wanted nothing more to do with me. I probably could've found out your new work number at least - but I got the messege loud and clear." Briefly closing her eyes, Claire took a moment to strengthen her resolve. "So what the hell am I supposed to think now? You just... just  _waltz_  back like  _nothing happened_. Tell me, Lex - what the  _fuck_ are you doing here?!"

Lex closed her eyes as tears began to trickle. "You know why."

Claire's heart nearly shattered. She wanted it to be so... but also did  _not_  want it. She did not want Lex to think she could get back together just like that. Claire had to keep hold of her self-respect. Of her...

Pride?

"Ever since that week... " Lex said, her voice becoming raw with agony. "I've been completely miserable. No matter how hard I tried, no matter what I did, I... couldn't stop thinking about you. Over time, my hurt and anger began to fade, and my... regret only grew." She looked at Claire through tear-soaked eyes. "But not regret about that week. You were the best thing that ever happened to me, Claire. And despite how our time together ended, I couldn't bring myself to regret meeting you. Of falling for you."

Claire began to feel her shields crack. She wanted desperately to hate this woman, but that was absurd: she loved Lex with all her heart. And seeing and hearing her like this...

"When I heard about the park," continued Lex, "I... despite what you might think, I... wasn't glad. Dammit, of  _course_  I wasn't. I wasn't smug. I didn't come back to rub it in your face, Claire. All I felt was remorse. I wanted to turn back the clock. I wanted to go back and fight harder to get the park shut down before it opened. I wanted to fight harder to convince you not to go back. I wanted to... " - a sob escaped - "... fight harder for you to  _stay with me_. Because when you left... my heart left with you. Losing you destroyed me, Claire. I'd fallen in love with you."

Claire's jaw dropped. Lex said the words she longed to hear. It was...  _no_. Do not fold. Do not back down. Do not  _give in_...

"But I can't change what I did, what I said. All I can ask is for another chance. I know I don't deserve it, and I know I don't deserve  _you_. But yesterday, after what you said, I realised that letting you go was the biggest mistake of my life. When I think of what I said, all the  _awful_  things I accused you of... " Lex's voice cracked as she sobbed openly, while each word was another hammer against Claire's increasingly-weakening walls. "You have every reason to hate me, Claire. I hate myself for losing you and what we had. I hate myself for treating you so terribly... even now. You think I don't care about your feelings? Claire, my... that's the furthest thing from the truth. You're all I've  _ever_  cared about, throughout all this. I can't tell you what might have been, and I can't turn back time." Lex took a visible gulp and wiped away a few tears. Her back straightened, as she regained some composure - or tried to, anyway. "All I can tell you is that I'm so very,  _very_  sorry, and beg you to forgive me."

Inwardly, Claire was a jibbering wreck. Hearing Lex's heartfelt words, seeing her so fragile and laid bare... Clare's resolve was all-but gone, and she knew now - as if in a moment of clarity - she really never had a chance. Her heart was forever lost to Lex Murphy.

"But if you can't," Lex breathed. "I... I'll understand. I'll leave today and you'll never see or hear from me again. I don't want to hurt you anymore than I have." She then stared directly into Claire's eyes, complete conviction in her gaze. "But I  _love_  you, Claire Dearing. I always have... and I always will."

And with that, Claire broke. All her posturing, all her bravado, all her misplaced pride exploded into fragments. "Oh,  _God_ ," she choked. "Why am I fighting this?" Before anything else could be said, she rushed upto Lex and fiercely kissed her. Their lips instantly melding together, Lex's arms soon wrapped instinctively around Claire's neck. Deepening, the kiss released all the love, passion, desire, hurt, pain, regret, longing, need - everything pent-up since they last parted was transferred between them as they crushed their bodies snugger still, struggling for  _more_  contact,  _more_  closeness. Their love was both set free and sealed with this kiss.

Eventually, they had to break for air. Both were panting heavily with raw emotion. Claire bored straight into Lex's eyes unwaveringly. "I'm not letting you go again, do you hear me?" she gasped. "I'm not losing you again.  _Understand_?"

Lex gulped down oxygen and nodded feverishly. "I'll tell you everything," she wept. "I'll tell you my whole life story. No more secrets."

"No more secrets," Claire affirmed, then claimed Lex's lips again. She pressed hard against Lex's back, trying to pull her even closer. "I love you so much," Claire breathed against Lex's mouth in a moment of seperation, before they crashed together once more, Claire's lips moving to Lex's neck. "So very,  _very_  much... "

Lost in eachother, they fell onto Lex's hotel bed...


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DO NOT OWN JURASSIC PARK/WORLD. This is just for fun.

Lex stared into the beautiful eyes infront of her, not quite believing what had happened.

Her greatest dream had come true. She was back with Claire Dearing.

As the stunning redhead lightly stroked her arm, Lex sighed, both in an attempt to get air back into her body, and delay fresh tears from falling. But if they did, they would no longer be of sorrow or regret: Lex felt nothing now but contentment and sheer joy. The woman of her dreams, the woman she loved more than anything else, was back with her.

Already holding eachother under the bedsheets, Lex wiggled her body in an attempt to get even closer to her lover. A smile crossed her face:  _lover_. It was hard, and it nearly broke them both, but they were reunited once more. Lex would forever be grateful that Claire returned her love. Lex moved her head closer to claim the lips seemingly made just for her, and grinned against them as Claire gladly returned the kiss. She felt Claire's hand move to her cheek, caressing it tenderly. Not for the first time, Lex wondered how she ever could have survived those months of them apart. With each passing second, Claire was proving her touch, her presence, her love to be as important to Lex as air.

Although, air was sort of the reason they were simply laying in bed right now. Indeed, they had spent the better part of the last  _three hours_  reconnecting their bond and affirming their love. It seemed to run the entire gamut: at times slow and tender, others quick and heavy. But at no point did they falter: both were apparently insatiable, only stopping for mere seconds before reclaiming eachother's lips, or moving their hands to another area. They were relentless in their need to be together, to regain what was feared lost forever. More than once both had wept during their coupling, sometimes individually, sometimes together. When one did succumb to emotion, it seemed to just drive the other further. That was certainly the case for Lex: whenever she saw tears in her beloved's eyes, she multiplied her efforts to send her over the edge. Lex needed Claire to know just how much she meant to her, how much she needed her.

Because that was the case. Lex knew now she  _needed_  Claire to survive - she loved the perfect redhead with every fibre of her being. Though the situation was still far from uncomplicated, Lex knew with the love of her life at her side, they could accomplish anything. Not for the first time, Lex castigated herself for ever letting this woman slip through her fingers. She intensified the kiss now, wanting to savour the feel and taste. "I love you... " she breathed when their mouths eventually parted. "I'm so sorry... "

Claire stopped her with another gentle kiss. "Sshh. I should be saying sorry... I never should've treated you like that... " When Lex minutely leaned her head back, furrowing her brow, Claire elaborated. "I was so scared... I was so weak, and I wanted to... feel strong again. I wanted to feel in control." Seeing tears form, Lex softly wiped them from her love's face. "I... wanted you to... " Claire stopped, and a sob escaped. She closed her eyes tight.

Lex pawed her cheek. "It's OK, my darling. You can say it. I... deserved to suffer, after the way I treated  _you_."

"No!" Claire suddenly gasped, surprising Lex. "I didn't want you to... God, I could never do that to you." She kissed Lex again, possibly in an attempt to stem more tears. "Losing you was the hardest thing I ever had to do. And I wanted to... protect myself. I wanted you to think... I didn't need... " Claire lowered her head, unable to continue.

"And you wanted me to know how much I... hurt you," Lex extrapolated. Eventually, almost ashamedly, Claire nodded, still looking down. However, Lex placed a finger under her chin and raised her gaze back to hers. "What I said, and what I did, at the end of that week, was awful. But if you give me the chance, I'll spend the rest of my life making it upto you."

Claire smiled as tears trickled free. Their lips met once more, Lex determined to convey just how much she loved the woman beside her. As she gently pushed forward, Lex deepened the kiss and rolled Claire onto her back. She broke the kiss as Claire's arms wrapped around her neck. She was looking up with pure love in her eyes: Lex was awed. Claire Dearing was the most beautiful creature in creation, and she had forgiven her. She had chosen to be with lowly Lex Murphy. In an instant, Lex made a decision - and when she spoke, it was completely with conviction. "Come back with me."

Claire blinked. "What?" Realisation then seemed to dawn on her, perhaps remembering the same words coming from her own mouth during their unforgettable week. "Are... are you serious?"

"Totally," said Lex. "Stay with me." Another thing Claire had said to  _her_  before. "In my new house."

"You finally moved in?"

Lex nodded. "And I could do... with a roomie," she grinned. Her smile quickly fell, however, as she framed Claire's face with her hands. "Please, my love... come back... come  _home_  with me."

Claire darted her eyes around. "Are... are you asking me... to  _move in_?"

Lex took a deep breath. It was insane, it was impulsive, it was  _fast_... but it also seemed so, so  _right_. Exactly like their entire coupling. "Yes... I guess I am." She knew Claire had no place of her own: the CIA paying for a longterm hotel room made that obvious.

"But... what about my meetings?" Claire asked. "I'm still under investigation... "

For a brief moment, Lex felt a twinge of pain. Thinking of Claire's meetings with the CIA reminded her of  _the island_ , but... dammit, not now. This was far, far,  _far_  more important. And besides, looking at Claire's flawless face was all the strength Lex needed. "They would've charged you by now," she said. Owen had earlier explained the situation to her: Lex knew the CIA was keeping Claire here mainly to save face. It was Dr. Wu they were after. Lex never met the Jurassic Park/World geneticist - not even in 1993 - but he sounded like a right piece of work. Still, there was another, more obvious reason for Claire's reticence. "Unless... you don't want to come back with m... "

Lex was stopped when Claire forcefully pulled her head down and crashed their lips together. All doubt left Lex's mind as the kiss intensified.

It was a good thing they spent time recovering their strength...


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DO NOT OWN JURASSIC PARK/WORLD. This is just for fun.

"I'm not sure that's possible, Ms. Dearing."

Claire tutted at the CIA agent. "It's entirely possible. You just need to go to your superiors and ask them." She paused. "Better yet, just  _tell_  them."

The agent looked confused. "Ms. Dearing, you can't just  _up and leave_. You're under investigation. We still have many questions to ask. The Jurassic World case is far from closed."

The ex-OM felt a hand tighten ever-so-slightly around her arm, and turned to look at two beautiful brown orbs. Despite the worry in them, Lex's eyes were still captivating. But now was not the time to become lost in them: Claire knew the reason for the lovely blonde's tense hand - the agent mentioned the island. Claire placed her own hand on Lex's, squeezing it softly in comfort. As Lex's expression relaxed, Claire thought back to how lucky she was... and how stupid she  _had_  been.

How  _could_  Claire have been so stupid? How could she let stubborness get in the way of her happiness? Looking back at it now, Owen was completely right: it was pride - stupid,  _stupid_  pride - keeping Claire from the love of her life. She was completely truthful when she ran Lex the riot act at the cafe, and obviously there was still alot to discuss and sort out, but losing Lex Murphy completely? Claire knew now that was  _out of the question_. She cherished the perfect blonde - she always had. Lex broke her heart when she ended things... but Claire was breaking  _herself_  in refusing to reunite with her.

Owen was right on so many things. He was spot-on in realising Claire was foolishly trying to protect herself in rebuffing Lex's efforts to apologise. Owen noticed straight away that the former OM's refusal to accept Lex back was mainly out of spite and pride. Claire could not deny she almost wanted Lex to feel the hurt and pain she caused  _Claire_  at the end of that fateful week. Inwardly groaning, Claire wondered now what the hell was wrong with her. How could she treat the woman she loved like that? Her heart was broken by Lex, but Lex was the only one who could fix it. Claire's brief time back with Owen - and lastnight's ill-thought kiss, which she hated herself over - proved that beyond any doubt. Lex was the only person for her. In a sense, Owen saw it before Claire did.

The ex-Raptor handler was also correct regarding Jurassic World. The park was no longer a factor. Would Lex have returned and tried to reconnect with Claire, if the island had not collapsed? Frankly... no. Claire knew that. But she also knew it was irrelevent now. The park  _was_  gone: nothing was going to change that. Was it a case of the end of Jurassic World bringing Lex here and made her realise how much she loved Claire? Well, if there was to be one good thing to come out of the disaster with the Indominus... it was Lex. And Claire was not going to blow it this time. Lex was all she had left, and she was not going to let her go  _ever_  again. Claire knew her heart could not survive a second breakup.

Turning back to the CIA agent, Claire sighed. "Look, I'm not backing out. I'm not trying to  _run away_. I'm just saying I won't need you to pay for a hotel room anymore." She slipped a hand into Lex's and rubbed her thumb over it lovingly. "I have somewhere else to stay now."

The agent frowned. "This is most irregular. We can't have defendants galavating around... "

"I'm not leaving the country," Claire scoffed. "I'm not even leaving the  _state_."

"And don't call her 'defendant'," added Lex. "I know for a fact you haven't charged her with anything." She began stroking Claire's arm in support. "Frankly, this is outrageous. You've had her practically locked up here for weeks, asking her the same things again and again. You should be out there looking for this Dr. Wu, the one who actually made the... the... " Lex stopped.

Concern engulfed Claire. She recognised Lex's change in tone: it was the one she always had when discussing anything involving her grandfather's work. Claire could see the pain already in her love's eyes. She would not accept that. While deep down, Claire reasoned it probably - no,  _was_  something they would have to discuss, now was not the time. Tightening her grip on Lex's hand, she tried to reassure her with her own eyes. When she was satisfied that Lex was not going to start hyperventilating, Claire returned to the agent. "Please, try and understand. I'll give you the address I'll be staying at. I'll come back as soon as you call - tomorrow, if need be. Dammit... I'll even wear a  _tag_  if it'll make you feel better."

"That won't be necessary." All eyes turned to the voice, to see a man in another smart suit appear. "I think Ms. Dearing's done more than enough to earn some time away."

"Who are you?" asked Lex.

"Agent Neill, head of this investigation." Claire remembered she and Owen briefly meeting him when this all started. He seemed a warmhearted man, considering the situation, but never actually conducted interviews himself - at least not Claire's. He delegated that to "underlings". Neill approached them, a friendly smile on his face. "Ms. Dearing, I've been observing all the interviews conducted with yourself and Mr. Grady. And after this morning... " - he was referring to Claire's last session when she answered in little more than grunts - "... it's clear you need a rest."

The other agent looked flabbergasted. "But sir, the investigation is still ongoing. And she's clearly been talking about it to an outside party." He glared at Lex.

Neill placed a hand on the agent's shoulder and pulled him back slightly. It was obvious he was sending the messege the "underling" was no longer required. "I'll take care of it, Nivola. You're dismissed." Without waiting for a response, Neill turned back to Claire and Lex, while Agent Nivola walked off, grumbling. "As I was saying... Ms. Dearing, you've given us enough information for now. We'll move our investigation to other areas."

"I'm free to go?" Claire asked cautiously.

"For the moment," replied Neill. "Thank you for all your help, Ms. Dearing."

Lex interjected herself between them, gently though firmly pulling Claire away from the agent. "I hope you'll spend your time in 'other areas' wisely and find the person actually responsible, instead of trying to pass the buck," she spat. "Come on, Claire." As Lex dragged her away, Claire felt a twinge of guilt: Agent Neill was actually incredibly helpful. However, she could not deny she loved Lex being protective of her.

She also loved Lex's lips on hers, which happened as soon as they entered the lift. Claire held her lover snug as their kiss deepened and the lift doors closed...


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I DO NOT OWN JURASSIC PARK/WORLD. This is just for fun.
> 
> 2\. Are the last couple of lines too corny? I'll let you decide.

The door opened and Lex stepped into the house, her gaze only briefly checking everything was still in place. She quickly returned her attention to the woman coming up behind her, lugging a big suitcase. Lex frowned. "Please, sweetheart, let me take that."

As she fully entered the house, Claire scoffed. "Don't be silly." They had left San Diego shortly after Agent Neill gave the ex-OM "permission" to go. After quickly packing, Claire made a brief stop at Owen's room to explain the situation. To be honest, it was probably  _too_  brief, but she just could not wait to be off: the sooner she was at Lex's home the better. Thankfully, Owen was exceptionally understanding, merely telling Claire to "Be happy." Now she had evenmore reason to be indebted to the former Raptor handler.

Returning her thoughts to her beloved, Claire dragged her case into the house. "I can carry my own stuff. I... " She stopped as she took in her surroundings. It was certainly different from when she helped her darling move stuff from her old house to this one. Lex's new home was now fully decorated, and it looked wonderful. And this was just the enclosed front porch. Claire could not wait to see the rest of the house... especially the bedr...

"Sorry it's a mess," said Lex sheepishly. "I, er, left in abit of a hurry yesterday." Claire almost laughed: a small pile of unopened post on a little table counted as "a mess"? She looked around and saw a few small paintings on the wall, possibly Lex's own work. While that might be considered egotistical, Claire thought far differently: Lex was an exceptional artist, so why not display them? She watched as the lovely blonde, after picking up fresh post off the floor and adding it to the pile, unlocked the door to the main house. Once both women were inside, Claire nearly gasped. There were framed pictures and photos hanging on the walls. Having only ever seen bare walls in both Lex's outgoing-and-incoming homes, Claire could not help but blink at the stark difference. Along with a couple more paintings, she noticed a photo of a young man with brunette hair. Two other framed pictures both showed weddings - one of a middle-aged man and woman, both blonde-haired; the other a dark-haired man and redheaded woman. And on a far wall...

Now Claire  _did_  gasp. It was a big, framed photo of John Hammond, being hugged tight by two teenagers. Claire instantly recognised one as Lex. She stared at it in wonder. Seeing her darling so young and innocent with her grandfather - the founder of Claire's former employ - brought goosebumps. In a way, it visualised what Lex went through on the original Jurassic Park. It was a bizarre connection, but seeing Lex as she was then, holding her grandfather with obvious love, somehow, almost laughably, encapsulated to Claire that Lex  _did_  exist before they met, that she  _was_  John Hammond's granddaughter... and that she  _was_  on the island all those years ago. It brought feelings of pain; to think the love of her life was in such a terrible situation, so young, made Claire actually hurt.

Lex seemed to notice her pause. "Claire... what is it?"

Claire slowly turned to face the beautiful blonde, and looked at her with unshed tears. "I love you," she breathed. "I love you so much... " As Lex's eyes widened, Claire dashed upto her and enveloped her in a crushing hug. As she took Lex's lips with her own, Claire swore right there that she would do everything in her power to make sure her darling never felt such terror again. Eventually ending the kiss, the two stared into eachother's eyes. They rested their foreheads against eachother, a silent understanding passing between them. They knew they were connected both emotionally and physically. After everything that happened, nothing would ever seperate them again.

Lex cleared her throat and stroked Claire's cheek. "I... I... was planning on showing you this later." A tender kiss. "But this seems as good a time as any." She then broke their embrace and, their hands held tightly, began to lead Claire further into the house.

Claire furrowed her brow. "Whatabout my things?"

"This is more important," said Lex. Nodding in acceptance, Claire let herself be led, eventually stopping in another room. She blinked as she saw a familiar easel by the window, surrounded by several canvases. Clearly, Lex had enough space now to dedicate an entire room to her "pasttime". The lovely blonde went to a particular canvas and picked it up. After blowing a considerable amount of dust off, she turned and helt it out to Claire, who again gasped it amazement.

It was the painting of Claire that Lex did during the unforgettable week. It was slightly scuffed, but still in perfectly presentable condition. "You... you kept it... ?"

"I... couldn't bring myself to... to... " Lex blushed. "This was all I had left of you."

Claire covered her mouth, overwhelmed with emotion. Unable to stop the tears, she reached out and stroked the painting reverently. To think Lex kept it, even after what happened... Claire looked at Lex, utter conviction filling her. "Not anymore," she said as she moved closer to Lex and pressed their bodies together. After carefully taking Lex's hand and guiding the painting to the floor, releasing it safely against other canvases, Claire again claimed those perfect lips. "Make love to me... " she breathed against them.

Without another word, they went upstairs to Lex's... to  _their_  bedroom. And Claire realised something: in a sense, they had never just had sex.

Even from their first night together, they had only  _ever_  made love...


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DO NOT OWN JURASSIC PARK/WORLD. This is just for fun.

It was bound to happen, sooner or later. And Lex knew now was the time.

Claire unofficially moved in with her three days ago. It was relatively easy: the ex-OM had very few belongings; just a small bundle of clothing she - rather embarrassingly - had to keep recycling during her stay in San Diego. Sure, Claire had purchased some new apparel, but not much. She was unsure if her bank account would be frozen, so spent as little as possible. And obviously, going back to Isla Nublar to get her stuff was impossible. So instead, Lex took Claire out and, frankly, spoilt her rotten. Clearly the beautiful redhead was not used to being a "kept woman", but Lex did not mind. Besides, there was every chance Claire would be out of work for quite sometime. Lex knew it was best to get into the habit of supporting her love right away, financially as well as emotionally.

The couple spent the past three days in bliss. Lex showed her every room in her new house - they had not made love in  _all_  of them, honest - and they found a perfect place to hang the painting of Claire, something her lover still blushed at. Though Lex had not told Claire, she was even considering getting her name included on the official deed to the house. Claire was shocked enough to learn Lex changed her answering machine message to include her as an occupant. It was fast, yes, but it seemed "fast" epitomised their entire relationship: Lex Murphy and Claire Dearing were clearly meant to be together, so why wait? Lex loved the woman utterly - she would never let Claire go again. Ever.

Needless to say, they spent countless hours making love. Day and night, slow and quick, soft and hard, inside and out. Indeed, Claire was certain Lex's neighbours Sam and Laura saw them in the garden yesterday. But the women could not help themselves: they were unable to get enough of eachother. It was like "the week" all over again, only now potent. Now, everytime they touched, kissed, brought eachother to ecstasy over and over again - it was with the wonderful knowledge they would spend the rest of their lives together. A lifetime of affirming their love and solidifying their bond.

But Lex had something else on her mind right now. She knew now was the time. No more ignoring, no more avoidance. She owed this to Claire. To  _herself_.

She was prepared. While Claire was in the kitchen making drinks - just coffee, as Lex needed to be sober for this - Lex brought out a box of tissues from a table drawer, as well as a blister of antidepressant pills. When her girlfriend eventually returned with two mugs, Lex braced herself. She tried desperately to keep from trembling. Claire sat next to her on the sofa and was about to lean in for a kiss, when she paused. It was like they could read eachother's emotions. "Honey... what's wrong?"

Lex took in a deep gulp of air, and reached out for Claire's hand. Holding it tight, she looked straight into the perfect redhead's eyes.  _Now_  was the time.  _Never_  was not an option. "Claire... " she said, willing her voice to remain calm, "... it's time I told you about the original park."

Claire's eyes widened. "Are, are you sure?" When Lex silently nodded, she took her other hand. "Lex, you don't have to. I read all about it. I don't want you to get upset."

"Please," said Lex. "I told you I'd never keep anything from you again. No more secrets. Besides... " - she took a deep breath - "... I need to do this." She could already feel her eyes watering. "I need to just get it out. Just... " She smiled in a vain attempt at levity. "Just humour me, OK?"

Claire simply nodded in acceptance.

"We... my brother and I... we never knew exactly what Grandpa was doing," Lex began. "We knew he was very busy with a new project, but... we didn't know what it was until he actually invited us over." She smiled wistfully. "Tim was over the moon. He'd always been into dinosaurs. I was never that bothered with them, but even I was excited. I mean...  _dinosaurs_ , right?" Claire smiled in agreement. Obviously she saw thousands of thrilled children during her time at Jurassic World.

"Timmy was a nightmare on the flight over." Lex chuckled at the memory. "He was convinced Grandpa was full of crap." She then paused. "Well, not in those words, but... you know what I mean." As Claire smirked with understanding, Lex grit her teeth, determined to continue. "He was excited to see dinosaurs, of course, but was more skeptical than me. 'Dinosaurs are extinct,' he kept saying. I was into computers, even then, so I sort of knew the tech was at least possible. He changed his tune when we actually got to the island, though: maybe by then the excitement overrode his scepticism."

"Still, I didn't get my hopes up. I think that's why I brought my baseball: just incase we saw nothing." At Claire's raised eyebrow, Lex shook her head. "I was abit of a tomboy back then." Still was, in a sense: Lex owned little overtly-girlie clothing. "Getting ready for the ride was funny. Ellie... I mean, Ellie Grant - Ellie  _Sattler_  as she was then... " - the palaeobotanist's marital history nuts - "... said I should ride with Alan... Dr. Grant. I think she was trying to send him a message." A message he eventually got, Lex thought to herself.

"I was... oh God... " Claire automatically leaned closer, and Lex felt all gooey at the lovely redhead's concern. She rubbed Claire's hand with a thumb. "No, I was just remembering... " Lex actually laughed. "When we got into the car... I was so excited that it had a CD-ROM. Back then, that was the raddist shit." Claire could not help but stifle a chuckle, and the couple briefly shared a moment of lightness together. Lex then carried on before she lost her nerve. "We never saw any dinosaurs - Grandpa later told us how angry he was about that at the time - until Alan actually got out the car. In the field, we found a sick Triceratops. It was at that point I realised just what Grandpa had done - what he'd accomplished. I couldn't help but be wonderstruck... well, until Alan tried to cuddle the thing." Another chuckle.

"We carried on in the cars, seeing nothing, until the... the... " Oh no. It had started. Lex could feel the shakes coming. But she had to do this. "The... storm... "

Claire leaned closer, her face full of worry. Having read the report, she knew what was coming next. "Sweetheart... "

Lex reached for a tissue and tried to dab away the tears before they fell. She  _would_  do this. For the sake of her sanity - and her relationship with Claire. No more secrets. "We didn't know then about the sabotaged systems. We thought the storm had cut the power or something. But it didn't matter. We stopped right out... outside... the... "

"Lex, please don't make yourself... "

"The Rex came right out," Lex said, all but staring blankly forward. "Just cut through the fence. I... I had a flashlight... " A sob escaped. "God, why did I have a flashlight?! What was I  _doing_?" Lex fell silent and closed her eyes. Everything about that night still haunted her, including  _that eye_  through the window. "It was my fault... "

Claire was trying to hold back tears herself. "How on Earth was it  _your_  fault?"

"I drew its attention," whined Lex. "Alan said its vision was based on movement... "

"Actually... " Claire stopped herself. "Never mind. Doesn't matter right now."

Lex was all but oblivious to Claire's non-statement. Instead she got another tissue and began wiping her eyes fully. She was losing control, and knew what she was about to say next would tip her over the edge. But she still said it. "It... it  _smashed through the roof_... " And with that, Lex was gone. She burst into tears, her body shaking uncontrollably. She felt Claire's arms wrap around her and her lips kiss her face.

"Lex,  _please_... "

" _No_!" she yelped. "I... I  _have_  to do this! I need to... to  _SAY it_!"

Claire kissed her on the lips, but fell silent. In the back of her mind, Lex was thankful for her understanding. "It... it filled everything," she sobbed. "All I could see was... was it's mouth... and... and... oh God... it's  _teeth_... !" Tears streamed as she pushed her body closer to Claire. "It... it... it turned... turned the car over... " For a moment Lex could go on no more, as she cried harshly. Claire deepened their embrace, muttering words of comfort to her. It was over a minute before the crying subsided enough for Lex to continue. "The mud... the rain... the cold... the glass... "

"I'm so sorry, my darling," breathed Claire.

"I, I thought... I w... was gonna... die," Lex whined. "I thought... T... Timmy and I... were gonna... d... die right there... " She buried her face in her hands. "I... I'm sorry... God... I'm so... so.. sorry... "

"It's OK," Claire soothed, tears pouring down her own face. "I'm here. Just take your time. I love you so much... " Lex cried unceasingly, unable to continue for several minutes. Instead, Claire kept her tightly close.

Eventually, however, Lex forced more words out. "Alan saved us... d... distracted the Rex. He got me... me out of... the car... protected me when the Rex came... came back. It's breath... God, it's breath... I... if Alan hadn't been holding me... I'd have been kn... knocked ov... over... " Another sob escaped. "It pushed the car over the edge... Timmy was still inside... he was  _still inside_! I was so scared... I thought Alan was going to leave us... like... like the lawyer... "

"Alan sounds like a wonderful man," said Claire softly.

"He is... " Lex whispered. "He saved Timmy... stayed with us all the time. He didn't abandon us." She took another gulp of air. "The next day... we got to the main building. Alan went to look for Ellie and Grandpa. We thought there was no more... danger. But then Tim and I saw... "

"Darling, please," breathed Claire. "You don't have to... "

"They got in the kitchen," blurted Lex. " _They got in_. We had to... to... to crawl on the floor to... stay out of... sight... " Another burst of tears. However, this  _was_  the most she had managed to talk about it to anyone. Her couple of therapy sessions with Eric Kirby were duds. Lex knew it was Claire's support and love getting her through this. "I... I dunno how we... we... survived."

" _I_  know," Claire said. "You were strong, you were brave. You refused to give up."

Claire must have been trying to make her feel better with false praise. "It was adrenaline... "

"But Lex, don't you  _see_?" Claire looked directly into her eyes. "I don't care how much adrenaline you had... in that horror, adrenaline wouldn't do crap. It was in you - the strength to carry on, to  _not give up_. Don't you see? You were strong and brave enough to  _act_. Trust me, I know. My nephews were the same. Of course they were scared... but they refused to give in. And neither did you." She kissed Lex deeply. "I'm so proud of you, my darling. I love you so much."

"I... I... I'm sorry... " whimpered Lex. She was exhausted, having reached her limit. "I ca... can't go on... "

"It's OK," came the soothing reply. "We can do this again whenever you want. I'll always be with you.  _Always_."

Later, Lex would almost laugh at her lover's earlier declaration. Claire,  _proud_  of her? Proud of the jibbering wreck Lex was when she talked about Jurassic Park? But right now, she focused on the  _other_ declaration. The knowledge Claire would always be there for her, to support her no matter what...  _that_  would always give Lex strength.

They held eachother on the sofa for a long time...


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DO NOT OWN JURASSIC PARK/WORLD. This is just for fun.

Claire breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the building. Her plan worked.

Lex was working today, and Claire had accompanied her in the journey to the city's business district. The lovely blonde was at first surprised - she reasoned Claire would want to spend the time fully moving her stuff in - not that she had much  _to_  move in, but still. After all, they had spent very little time doing that in the previous four days. The couple was too busy doing things  _far_  more pleasurable.

Claire's cheeks reddened at the thought, but she quickly stifled it. She had to accept that Lex had to go back to work: it would not be very proper if Claire barged into her office and took her right there at her desk. Besides, Claire had some important business to attend to. There was a specific reason she came with Lex into the city.

Yesterday's talk was yet another wake-up call for the former OM. Seeing Lex so weak and vulnerable nearly broke Claire's heart. She read up on the original Jurassic Park's fall, but it was completely different witnessing firsthand the aftereffect it had.  _Especially_  on the woman Claire loved. Obviously, she was right there when Jurassic  _World_  fell apart, and dreaded to think how Zach and Gray's trauma might manifest in the future. However, Lex was different. She was Claire's girlfriend - her true love. Once more, Claire swore she would do anything she could to comfort Lex and quell her fears. She would spend the rest of her life trying to make Lex happy.

It hurt even more, and almost conflicted Claire, to know which dinosaur terrified her beloved the most. The Tyrannosaurus Rex - Rexy - was the one "asset" on the island Claire had any affection for; the only one she always saw as more than just an amusement park attraction. After all, T-Rex  _was_  her favourite as a child, and Rexy was the only one at Jurassic Park/World. Sure, tyrannosaur DNA was in the labs, but there was never any demand for more than one. Maybe it would have made Rexy less special. Besides, she was a veteran of Isla Nublar - the only dinosaur to have definitely survived since 1993. There were no doubt more, but Rexy's identity was the only one proven. Claire had even managed to somewhat imprint herself on the animal, truly a remarkable feat given Rexy's age. It paid off during the battle with the Indominus.

Claire dreaded telling Lex: she knew she would have to, eventually. No more secrets. The ex-OM just hoped Lex did not throw her out again for having a bond with the giant that haunted her nightmares. Claire also decided to not correct Lex regarding the tyrannosaur eyesight myth. Just because Rexy had a fondness for bright lights did not mean she had crap vision. Movement-based?  _Really_?

Deep down, Claire knew her worries over Lex's reaction would be for naught: her darling might get upset, yes, but they would get move past it. They were eachother's soulmate.

Which was why she was where she was right now. Lex was still clearly unsure of leaving Claire in the city: they kissed deeply before the beautiful blonde disappeared into her office building. Lex's loving concern only strengthened Claire's resolve; she knew this was the right thing to do. But it was also  _crazy_.

With Lex at work, Claire spent the next hour scouring the district for a particular building. She cursed herself for not remembering exactly where it was, but it was not like she was paying attention when she first visited. Back then, she was just aimlessly wandering the streets, killing time until her lover clocked off. But now, she had a mission, and fortunately, she succeeded. Claire had found the jewellery shop. Going upto the window, Claire spied the items within, and had to actively stop from going, "Yes!" when she saw what she was looking for. She was over the moon: it was still there, after all this time.

Yes, what she was doing  _was_  crazy, but it was also so,  _so_  right. Claire felt an unwavering amount of certainty in her: she knew she had to do this. The item in the window was  _hers_. Or more appropriately,  _Lex's_.

Striding in, Claire went right to the shopkeeper's desk. She recognised him - it was the same man she met the last time she was here. The one who sold her the necklace... the necklace broken beyond repair when Claire and Lex split up. Shaking her head, Claire refused to think of that again. That was in the past: what she was here to do was about the future. "Hello there," the shopkeeper said with a smile. "May I help you?" Claire responded in the positive and directed him to the window item. His smile widening, he got the item from its display and, once they were back at the till, inspected it. "A fine choice. Someone's going to be very... " He then paused and looked at Claire, before his face lit up. "I  _thought_  I recognised you," he beamed. "You were here awhile ago, am I right?"

Claire actually blushed. "Y... yes... I bought a necklace."

"I remember," he said. "I also remember what you were originally looking at." He smirked, and motioned at the item in his hand. "Dare I ask... is  _this_  for the same person?"

The blush deepened. Claire's defences must have been completely destroyed by the Jurassic World collapse, as it now seemed she was incapable of hiding anything. "It is," she admitted.

"That's  _wonderful_. I'm sure she'll love it."

"I hope she... " Claire stopped and blinked. A sudden burst of dizziness overwhelmed her, and she had to grip the side of the till desk. Her vision went blurry as she held her head.

His brow furrowed. "Miss... are you alright?"

"Y... yes," Claire said. The sensation was already fading. "Just felt abit... " She shook her head slightly to clear her bearings. In seconds she was fine.

"... nervous?"

Claire looked at him. His kind concern was obvious. "Yeah... " she said, well, nervously.

The shopkeeper had paused the item before the barcode reader. "Maybe you'd like to have a think about... "

"No!" Claire almost yelped. "No, I'm fine. I  _need_  that." Especially as it was still there to buy. The man nodded in acceptance and scanned the item. As Claire used her credit card and punched in the number, she silently prayed it was accepted. Fortunately, the CIA still had not frozen her account. It went through without a hitch. With a final thank you and "Good luck" from the shopkeep, Claire left.

Butterflies in her stomach, Claire could scarcely believe she did it. It was a big step. However, she knew it was the right thing. She did not know  _when_  she would put to use what she just bought, but knew she would, eventually. She just hoped it did not scare her beloved off...


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I DO NOT OWN JURASSIC PARK/WORLD. This is just for fun.

Claire's lips were not of this world, Lex concluded. They could not be: no normal lips could be so perfect. Every kiss was ecstasy to Lex. It seemed absurd, but it was as if their kisses just got better and better. How could Lex have ever survived without them?

It had been a week now since they reconciled. Seven days of pure bliss mixed with cathartic pain. Had she been counting, Lex would surely have already  _lost_  count of the number of times they made love: it seemed a dozen times a day. Claire was also already acclimated to Lex's home. Perhaps it was the need to be organised, but the lovely redhead knew the "geography" of the house like the back of her hand. Lex was pleased, especially as she already thought of it as  _their_  home. Lex knew their relationship was for keeps. She could not live without Claire Dearing.

Their talks clinched it. Lex indeed felt it cathartic to finally speak at length about her ordeal at Jurassic Park. It was hardly easy, but she managed to get through it twice now: the first on the sofa, followed by an "addendum" a couple of days later in bed. Lex was still surprised she got the words out. Now Claire knew  _everything_  that happened. The lawyer abandoning them. Tim in the tree. Running from the stampede. Tim's electrocution. And the final confrontation with the Raptors, followed by the T-Rex's "rescue".

It was when Lex got to the Rex's reappearance that Claire admitted her "bond" with the animal. Lex could not deny she was surprised and even upset, but she forced herself to think about it logically. She refused to make the same type of snap-reaction she had when they broke up. Lex realised Claire's affection for "Rexy" was innocent. Claire explained how she read up on the park's initial collapse when she first took the job at the rebuilt attraction, but failed to remember the details as the years passed. Lex had accepted the fact Claire forgot the names of those involved back in 1993. Now Lex thought about it, Claire probably saw the T-Rex as a heroine, saving the survivors at the last moment. Even if they both knew that was whimsical: the giantess was just in the right place at the right time.

On the subject of time... it was poetic they had been back together for a week now. Because they received the call: Claire was required back in San Diego. They expected it; frankly, given the CIA's apparent need for repetition, both women were surprised Claire had not been called back earlier. But it was part of the deal - Claire knew she could not tell the suits to swivel on it. The worst part was that Lex could not join her. She had work. She hoped the CIA would not need her lover for long. Lex had no more free time, so, depending on how long Claire was kept in San Diego, she might not see her until the following weekend. The idea of a week  _without_  Claire was agonising. Not that Lex was worried about Owen: call her a hopeless romantic, but she trusted Claire -  _and_  Owen, actually - implicitly.

So the couple were using their time as practically as possible. Meaning, they made love nonstop for hours. Now, they were holding eachother close in bed - despite it being the middle of the afternoon - having almost  _forcing_  themselves to take a break. Not that it stopped Lex continually kissing those perfect lips. She sighed in contentment as she ran a hand through Claire's firey hair. "I don't know what I'll do without you."

Claire's eyes dipped. "I'll miss you so much." A tender kiss. "But I'll be back as soon as I can. In fact, if they just ask the same questions they've always asked, I'll walk out right there and then. I can't be going through all that crap again."

Lex felt more than a pang of annoyance at the CIA. "It damn well better be something new. It must be. Maybe... " At Claire's questioning look, Lex continued. "Maybe they've found Wu."

Claire sighed. "Maybe. Or maybe they just want to keep me close." She tutted. "It'll be easier to get me in a cell if I'm already in the building."

"No," Lex said resolutely. "You know it won't come to that. And even if it did... well, I wouldn't  _let_  it. They won't take you from me. I won't lose you again."

Claire's face went all gooey. "I love you... " They then kissed deeply, their bond strengthening with every second. After their lips seperated, they stayed in silence for awhile, just taking comfort in their closeness. When Claire spoke again, she smiled with mirth. "So what would you do? Fight off the entire CIA?"

Lex chuckled. "And bring you back here and barricade the door. They'd have to bulldoze the house to get you."

Claire laughed, but when it faded, so did her smile. "If they haven't found Wu... if they  _don't_  find him... this could go on for years. Always at the CIA's beck and call."

Lex frowned at that. "I told you, love, I won't let that happen. By then we'll be married and they'll  _have_  to listen to me."

Claire's eyes became bigger than Lex had ever seen. "What did you say?"

"I said we... " Suddenly Lex stopped, and her breathing seemed to stop with her. Oh no. Oh  _crap_. "F... forget I said that. I didn't... didn't... " Crap crap crap  _crap_. "I, I... I didn't mean... I mean... oh God, please... don't get angry." She began to panic.

"You... you... " Questioning eyes bored into her.

"Claire, please," yelped Lex. "I'm sorry. I didn't, I wasn't... I... I didn't mean to... " What had she done? What had she  _said_? Oh God... Lex was terrified. "I... I was talking hy... hypothetic... I mean... don't, don't read into it... please... "

Claire's voice was a mixture of calm and confusion. "Have you... thought about that?"

Squirming under the pressure and fear, Lex looked down. Then, almost infinitesimally, she nodded. "But I wasn't talking about now," she whined, still looking away. "Please don't be angry. I didn't mean anything by... " She was stopped when Claire dove down and kissed her passionately. Lex was shocked, but automatically moaned into the kiss. After over a minute of Claire's insistant tongue, she broke the connection and smiled lovingly at Lex, who now felt both surprised and flustered.

"Oh my pretty lady," breathed the beautiful redhead. "You've made this... so much easier." After another quick yet tender kiss, Claire removed herself from Lex's arms and left the bed. Lex's confusion only grew as her girlfriend slipped on her dressing gown: this was not the reaction or action she expected. "I'll be right back." Lex was dumbstruck as Claire quickly left the bedroom, and her panic increased. What had she done? Lex cursed her foolishness: she actually voiced what she was dreaming of, what she wanted more than anything in the world - maybe ever since their very first night together.

Now sitting up, Lex pulled the bedsheets closer as she frantically thought about what was happening. Why had Claire left? Was she actually  _leaving_? That was ridiculous, of course, given the fact Claire was just wearing a dressing gown, but Lex was worried nontheless. What was going on?

After what seemed like hours, but was actually just a couple of minutes, Claire returned. Lex noticed she was hiding something in her hands. "I didn't know when to give this to you," Claire said as she reached the bed and climbed onto it. Feet tucked in under her, she gave Lex another loving kiss. "But I think...  _well_... " She then slowly uncupped her hands, revealing the item within.

Lex forgot to breathe. It was...

Claire opened the small case, revealing...

Lex's heart skipped a beat as she glared at the engagement ring.

"Lex Murphy," Claire said unwaveringly. "Will you marry me?"

Lex did not even feel the tears trickling down as she darted her eyes between the ring and Claire's beautiful face. "Yes," she said before realising it. She smiled as she let out a sob. " _Yes_." She saw Claire trying to stifle a sob herself, before her darling delicately removed the ring from its casing and slowly, reverently, slipped it onto her finger. This was the happiest moment of Lex's life.

"I love you," repeated Claire. "And I'll spend the rest of my life making you as happy as I can."

There was only one thing Lex could do. Pure devotion filling her, she pulled her soulmate to her and crashed their lips together. "Make love to me," she whispered. No more words were said as Claire lowered Lex back down...


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DO NOT OWN JURASSIC PARK/WORLD. This is just for fun.

As Claire stepped off the bus, she sighed. For the most part, she had not used public transport since she started at Jurassic World. But she knew she would have to get used to it now: no more company cars, cabin cruisers or private jets. It was quite the comedown. Claire could not afford to buy a new car - her jewellery purchase having depleted most of what was left in her account - and though they had not discussed it, she would never allow Lex to pay for one. New clothes were one thing, but her own vehicle was quite another. Claire sighed: she supposed she would have to invest in a bus pass. Maybe she could get the CIA to pay for that, instead of a hotel room.

Because seeing the CIA would be the only reason the former OM would return to San Diego. To say Claire was pissed off would be an understatement - this better be  _damn_  important to tear her away from Lex. Away from... her fiancee.

She once again grinned wide at the thought. Lex was  _her fiancee_. When she bought the ring at the shop near Lex's office building, Claire knew she would use it eventually. But she had no idea it would be a matter of  _days_. She had to admit, she questioned her sanity somewhat when she made the purchase; was it too soon? While rapidity seemed to sum up their entire relationship, marriage was the biggest step of all, bar children.  _Was_  Claire moving too fast? Fortunately, Lex answered that with her guardless comment. When she learnt her darling had been thinking about it, even casually, Claire's heart threatened to burst. It was the happiest moment of her life when Lex accepted her proposal and she tenderly slipped the gold ring on. Naturally, it fit perfectly.

Leaving Lex's home was agonising. The women - already having spent most of the night in the throes of passion - woke especially early and spent even _more_  time making love. Even at the bus stop, Claire had to actively  _prise_  herself away from her lover's embrace. How would she survive an entire week without Lex? Claire inwardly scoffed: there was  _no chance_  the CIA would make her stay that long. They  _would_  have to lock her up to keep her more than a couple of days away from her betrothed.

After a quick call to Lex to let her know she arrived, Claire approached the San Diego courthouse, Lex's "I love you" still in her ears. Once inside and at the interview areas of the building she knew so well, Claire's breath held as she saw Owen. He smiled when he noticed her, but was it genuine? Was he upset? Sure, he actually encouraged Claire to forgive Lex, but still... was there resentment? She braced herself - though for what, she was not sure - as he went upto her. "Hey, kiddo."

"Hello, Owen," she said. Claire noticed how there was no awkward move by him; no attempt at a kiss or even an arm stroke. Instead, he met her with a warm smile. Claire knew him well enough to know it was genuine.

"How are things going?" Owen asked.

"They're going... great." What could she say without hurting him?

He quirked an eyebrow. "That all?" He chuckled, though there was a sigh mixed in. "Claire, honestly... you don't have to be coy. I'm  _fine_."

Claire doubted that. His intentions and support might be sincere, but she knew it was likely tearing him up inside. "I'm... glad to hear it." She shook her head slowly. "Owen, the last thing I want is to hurt... "

"Claire,  _don't_ ," he insisted. "Really, it's OK. I  _am_  glad things are going good."

"They  _are_ ," she gasped before she could stop herself. "Owen, I, I'll always be grateful. What you did, how you helped... I'll never be able to thank you enough."

He nodded in understanding. "Anytime." A moment of silence, before he grinned wide. "And hey - if you ever need anyone to... " - he raised his brow - "...  _supervise_... "

Claire let out a loud snort, and had to cover her nose in embarrassment. "Oh, shut up," she laughed. They then hugged, finally letting go of all the unease and tension between them. When they parted, Claire sighed. "So... how's it been here?"

Owen shrugged. "Until yesterday, it was same old, same old."

She frowned. "'Yesterday'?"

He tutted. "Somethin's going on. They started asking me specifically about Wu." Claire blinked. Had they found him? "So be prepared to... "

"Ms. Dearing, you're here." Claire and Owen turned to see Agent Nivola approach them. "Good to see you again."

Claire's smile would not have fooled a Stegosaurus. "The feeling's mutual." She had not forgotten how the agent tried to keep her from leaving the week before. Stupid berk. "I hope you have some new material. I won't answer the same questions anymore." Her tone was classic Claire Dearing: finally, she was again confident and resolute. Now she had regained the love of her life, Claire could once more face anything thrown at her.

Nivola was taken aback by Clare's assured comment. "Actually... we do. Please." He motioned to the interview room, then turned and went to it, without even waiting for Claire's response. Rolling her eyes, Claire began walking after him, then paused. She suddenly felt her stomach turn slightly. That was odd. Was it lack of sleep? Granted, she and Lex were up most of the night, but the ex-OM had a nap on the bus over here. Deciding to ignore it, Claire continued into the interview room, though her hand absently went to her midsection. Once sat down, Nivola began. "We'd like to talk to you about Henry Wu."

Claire would have screamed to the heavens in thanks for a new topic - amazingly, they had never specifically talked about the Jurassic Park/World geneticist yet - but instead, the agent's voice began to muffle. All Claire could focus on were the somersaults happening in her tummy. She felt...

She let out a sudden belch. Feeling too rough to even be embarassed, she covered her mouth with her hand. Nivola looked at her in shock and almost disgust. "Ms... Dearing? Are you alright?"

"I... I... " She felt like she was going to...

A heave. Her eyes widened and her hand tightened over her mouth. Her throat filled with bile as she felt her stomach begin to give up its contents. Without even waiting for permission, Claire shot to her feet and dashed out the room. Turning his head at the sound of the interview room door almost breaking open, Owen blinked as Claire sped down the corridor. "Claire... Claire, what's... ?" But she could not hear him as she raced like a bullet to the ladies'...


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DO NOT OWN JURASSIC PARK/WORLD. This is just for fun.

Lex could not stop staring at the ring.

After Claire's oh-so-painful departure that morning, Lex forced herself to get ready for work. Her house already seemed crushingly-empty without the beautiful redhead. How would Lex survive a potential week without her?

They had been back together for just over a week, and already it seemed like a lifetime. Lex's love for Claire was just so  _right_ , so  _pure_ : it was like they had  _always_  been together. It was clear to both they were meant to be. And if the feeling in her heart was not proof enough, Lex had the item on her finger.

Once at work, Lex had gotten even  _less_  done than on Friday, her first day back after their reconciliation. All she could do was stare in wonder at her ring; the symbolism of her and Claire's commitment to eachother. Now Lex knew what her lover was doing while she was at work on Friday. She found it strange how Claire insisted on coming with her into the city, but she had a plan: the crafty redhead explained afterwards how she visited the jewellery shop before, and found herself looking at the rings. Now they were back together, Claire said, she knew she  _had_  to get this ring in particular. Lex was obviously not angry at her girlfriend's plotting: it did not break their "No Secrets" pact. Birthdays and Christmas would be pretty dull otherwise...

Still staring, Lex giggled as she ran another finger over the golden engagement ring. The ill-fated necklace Claire got her was stunning, but it  _paled_  in comparison. Maybe Lex's emotions were clouding her opinion, but this ring was surely the most beautiful piece of jewellery ever made. The only thing that could make it better was a wedding ring to go with...

Lex's mind froze. The enormity of what was happening again struck her. She was  _getting married_. She had a  _fiancee_. Claire Dearing was  _her fiancee_. She had found the love of her life, and their true love would last forever. After everything that happened, they had a second chance... and Lex was  _not_  going to blow it. She swore she would never let Claire go again. Lex loved her completely and - yes - unconditionally.

Her eyes watered as the ring shone in the office's ceiling light. Claire needed one too, Lex decided. Her beloved deserved an engagement ring even _more_  beautiful...

"Hey Lex, I'm back."

Lex darted her head up, while instinctively covering her hand, at the voice. Standing in the doorway was her workmate. "Tea," she gasped. "You're back?" Oh, right: she was on annual leave lastweek. Lex smiled in embarrassment. "Sorry. Did you have a nice vacation?"

" _Ugh_ ," Tea moaned, rolling her eyes. "Don't even. Ricky stepped off a kerb and somehow twisted his ankle. He was all like, 'Woe is me' all week." She ran a hand through her hair. "Take my advice: never get married."

Lex laughed before she could stop herself. "Well, actually... "

Tea's eyes widened. "What?"

Lex's eyes did the same.  _Crap_. When was she going to think before she spoke? "Well... er... " Giving up, she sighed and slowly revealed her hand. Tea looked at it for a second, then gasped. She clutched the hand and glared. Her grip was almost painful.

"W... what the... ?  _What_  the... ?" Her gaze darted incredulously between Lex's face and hand. "I... is this what I  _think_  it is?!"

Speechless, Lex simply nodded, her eyes tearing up.

Wide-eyed at the ring, Tea let out an almighty squeal. " _AIEEEEEEEE_!" Lex nearly winced at the assault on her ears. "Whatwhenwhohow?!"

Lex chuckled. "I'm engaged. Since yesterday. Claire. She asked."

Another gasp. "'Claire'?  _The_  Claire?" At Lex's nod, Tea resumed stammering. "But... but... but I thought she left?!"

Lex took a deep breath at the twinge of pain that question evoked. "She came back," she said resolutely.

A pause... then Tea pulled Lex out her seat. "C'mon, we're taking an early lunch."

Lex blinked. "What?"

"You're telling me  _everything_ ," said Tea. Lex rolled her eyes in amusement as her workmate dragged her out the office...


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DO NOT OWN JURASSIC PARK/WORLD. This is just for fun.

The CIA agent stopped his paperwork at the sound of his phone. He spied the caller ID and groaned: InGen. He did not need this. With a sigh, he picked up the receiver. "Agent Neill."

"Hey there, Neill," came the voice on the other end.

Neill narrowed his eyes. " _Dodgson_."

A knowing chuckle. "I knew you'd remember me."

The agent could  _feel_  the smarm in the voice. "What do you want?"

"Just wondering how the meetings with the Jurassic World staff are going. Nearing their end?"

Neill knew exactly what the man was getting at. Two decades ago, Lewis Dodgson worked for one of InGen's rivals. It was heavily rumoured during that time they had a hand in the original Jurassic Park's collapse - Dodgson especially. It was known he was an acquientance of Dennis Nedry, and the company had alot to gain from obtaining InGen's science. But with Nedry's death - his goopy remains where found in a jeep - Dodgson's place of business could no longer compete with InGen and went under. Amazingly, he then went  _to_  InGen. Dodgson's connection to Nedry and his sabotage was never proven, so he was never charged. But  _everyone_  knew. Dodgson, along with Henry Wu, fully backed Simon Masrani's campaign to salvage Isla Nublar and make John Hammond's dream a reality. As a shareholder in the park, Dodgson became a very wealthy man.

But that apparently was not enough for him. There were innuendos of InGen having military ties; it was wellknown Vic Hoskins wanted to utilise Raptors on the battlefield. And Dodgson was supposedly part of it too: it was thought he was supplying information to the security force, information it did not officially need. And now with Jurassic  _World's_  collapse, InGen could just take over the island and plunder it.

However, there was no proof. It was all just hearsay and rumours. But Neill  _knew_. "I've told you before, Dodgson - you're not getting access to  _anyone_." If InGen got hold of any of the park's staff - like Lowery Cruthers or even Clare Dearing herself - it would just be after information on how to take advantage of the park's systems and animals. Neill would not allow that. Unlike InGen, the CIA was just after the facts, so something like this did not happen a  _third_  time.

"There's no need to be like that, Neill," said Dodgson. "We're all friends here."

"Like hell."

A sigh. "What happened on the island was a tragedy, but we have to move on. InGen invested alot into Jurassic World, and we have to recoup our losses. It  _does_  belong to us."

Neill had had enough. "Listen to me very carefully,  _Mr. Dodgson_ : there is no chance I'm letting you or any of your army buddies even be in the same  _room_  as anyone from the park. And as for you 'owning' it? Last I checked, Masrani Enterprises owned Jurassic World."

"Simon Masrani's dead," Dodgson said. "Another tragedy, of course, but... "

"Oh, I'm sure your heart bled for him," scoffed Neill. "After the stunt your guy Hoskins pulled, I'm surprised you're not tripping over yourselves to stake your claim.  _He_  sure didn't waste time."

"Raiding that place right now would be suicide," said Dodgson, the mock surprise at the accusation sickening. "It would take an army... "

"You mean like the small band of soldiers that raided the park's lab?" By the long pause, Neill could tell that surprised the man. "Don't think we don't know about that. Or that you're protecting Wu."

"InGen is just as concerned about Henry Wu's whereabouts as  _you_ ," Dodgson eventually responded. "But the CIA isn't above the law, Neill. We have a legal right to everything on that island. And you can't stop us from claiming it."

"Is that a  _threat_ , Mr. Dodgson?" To be honest, Neill did not think the bastard had it in him.

"Just stating a fact, Neill." Again with the smarm. The agent wanted to trace the call just so he could find Dodgson and punch him in the face. "And unless you charge them - which I know you won't - you can't keep the park's staff forever."

"If I have to, I'll lock them up just to keep them away from you."

"Oh, how noble of you." Dodgson chuckled once more. "It won't come to that, Neill - I'm certain."

"Make sure it doesn't," the agent said, then slammed the phone down. Bastard.

Neill knew InGen was not just going to go away. Sooner or later, Dodgson would try and finish what he started 22 years ago...


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DO NOT OWN JURASSIC PARK/WORLD. This is just for fun.

Claire stood outside Lex's house, her heart thundering. She wanted nothing more than to run in and see the woman she cherished, throw herself into her loving embrace... but was afraid. With what had happened, with what Claire had to tell her... how would Lex react?

After she threw up for ages, the CIA insisted Claire go to the local surgery. Nivola offered to accompany her, but Claire cringed at the idea. Fortunately, Neill again stepped in and let Owen go with her. The former Raptor handler was naturally concerned, and Claire was once more thankful for his support. Of course, when they got to the doctor's, they were expecting to wait hours to be seen. But the CIA called ahead and told the surgery in no uncertain terms that Claire would be seen ASAP.

Filling out the consent form was more than a little embarrassing for Claire. Owen did not really bat an eye when she put Lex's home as her address, but when Claire got to Marital Status? That was awkward. Despite Owen sitting right next to her, she  _had_  to put "Engaged." That got his attention. Claire again felt terrible for the pain she was causing him: she knew he would find out soon, but like  _that_? It was awful. Owen put on a brave face as always, but Claire knew she had once more hurt him.

It only got worse. After countless tests, the doctor asked when Claire last had sex. Though red-faced, her automatic response was "This morning." Owen raised his eyebrow and clearly had to stifle a chuckle, as Claire felt she was going to burst. Owen actually had to step in at that point and explain they were not a couple, as the doctor probably thought. When the doctor elaborated what he meant, and Owen replied "A month or so ago,"...

Claire knew. Then the doctor confirmed it... and her heart sank.

How had this happened? She and Owen... they... it was just a couple of weeks! Weeks  _ago_! They had even used... !

Claire felt numb as they left the surgery. Owen asked her what she wanted to do, but there was only one thing she  _could_  do. Claire had to return to Lex.  _Immediately_. Not that it would have stopped her, but the CIA gave its "blessing" and Claire was on the first bus out of San Diego. Owen wanted to go with her, but she had to do this herself. Lex's reaction would be bad enough: Claire frankly did not want Owen to intimidate her fiancee just by being there.

Claire gulped.  _Fiancee_. God, she hoped that would still be the case...

Using the spare key Lex gave her, Claire entered the house. As she closed the door behind her, she heard footsteps. "Claire?" Just as the ex-OM turned back around, Lex appeared in the hallway. "You're back already!" Before Claire could do anything, her lover threw herself at her in a deep embrace. Their lips crashing together, Claire felt herself losing all thought. Lex's lips were so perfect.  _Lex_ was so perfect. "I thought you wouldn't be back for days," her fiancee gasped between smaller kisses. "What happened?  _Did_  they just ask the same questions? Why... ?"

Claire forced her head down slightly, stopping Lex's assault with her lips. She hated herself. "L... listen," she breathed.

Lex's face fell. "Claire... what's happened?"

Looking up again, Claire's eyes watered. "I... I... " What could she say? What could she do that would not result in Lex throwing her out once more? If she did that... Claire would  _die_. "I... didn't feel very well... "

" _What_? Were you hurt?" Lex looked crushed. "My darling, what's wrong? Tell me... "

A sob escaped. "Please... please don't leave me," Claire choked.

Lex gasped again. "W...  _WHAT_? Claire, what's happened? Please,  _tell_  me... !"

Unable to say anymore, Claire simply took Lex's hand - the one adorned with the engagement ring - and slowly moved it to her own stomach...


End file.
